Mutant Ninja Turtles Destruction of Turtle Trust
by Alaer Kino
Summary: After being betrayed by April, the Turtles are given an offer by Karai to join the Foot Clan to destroy the Purple Dragons & Leo to be the new Shredder. See my DA site for yummy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art! Please Read & Review! NeW Ch.46 & Epilogue!
1. April Accuses Raph

Destruction of Turtle Trust

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and I have yet to see the newer TMNT, so this fic is more based off the live action movie Turtles, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies).  
Please R&R and please no flames!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

On her day off from Channel Six News, April laid back on her couch to relax for a while. The days before were hectic and stressful. Even though she had her friends the Turtles baby-sit her child May, she was still tired out.

Casey was fulfilling a new goal in his life to become a real police officer instead of being an extremist vigilante. Catching unlawful scum and getting paid for it would definitely help support his family better.

As time went on, Casey was coming closer to controlling his temper with Anger Management classes and April was working hard at find new stories to air. The Turtles watched out for May more often than not while the parents slaved away all day.

As the years went by, May was no longer a helpless baby and she talked extremely well for her age of seven thanks to Donatello's tutoring. April thought back to the weeks before and how her daughter was acting strangely.

She acted as if she was hiding something, but April never got around to asking her what was wrong. So today she got off the couch and went to her daughter's room to find out what.

April opened the door and caught May doing something unspeakable to herself. Angrily she grabbed her daughter and yelled at her. May avoided her eyes and stared at the floor.

"What were you just doing?! Where did you learn such dirty bad things?!" April shouted. What May murmured next threw April into a world of new torment. The _Turtles_ taught her...? NO!

April didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. But she didn't know who else could have taught her. Certainly not Casey! April felt like her mind would explode any minute when she heard May accuse Raphael of such abuse then.

The mother in her wanted to kill that mutated amphibian with her bare hands. But her inner voice told her otherwise. The Turtles were not like that, were they? She knew them for over ten years now.

She hadn't ever seen them harm children before. They were good guys, noble animals. Mutated yes, but still decent animal creatures. Then, doubt seeped into her mind. Animals are _supposed_ to be noble... But they are still animals...

And sometimes...sometimes you just can't trust animals. They do whatever they want whenever they pleased without a thought or a care.

No. No, the Turtles were not ordinary animals. They are special creatures, highly enhanced mutants. They could think just as well as humans. They know right from wrong. They would never dare... Would they?

"May, listen to me. Are you saying Raphael was touching you like that before?" April asked and went on when May nodded her head. "How many times has he touched you, May?"

"A lot of times, Mama. He hits me too." May went on, liking this attention she was getting from her elusive mother, a person she hardly got to see.

Instead of checking for proof, April scooped up May and called Casey. She never hid anything from him. Her rage didn't allow her to spare any details. Naturally Casey was furious and wanted to have all four of the Turtles de-shelled instantly.

April somehow got him to calm down and said she wanted to investigate first. But really she wanted to get her hands on Raphael and punish him right out of his shell.

Leaving May at a neighbor's house, April went to the abandoned subway station below where the Turtles lived. April wondered if the death of Splinter had anything to do with the Turtles' becoming like this.

They had matured greatly from the wild playful teens they were ten years ago. Leonardo was becoming a second Splinter and often meditated when he wasn't perfecting his swordsman skills.

Donatello was deeply involved with his scientific works and enjoyed taking care of his organic garden of super large vegetables. Raphael was becoming increasingly aggressive to be a better fighter than just a ninja, which annoyed Leo.

Raph liked to train when Leo wanted silence so he could meditate. The two fought often over who got what they wanted first. Getting clawed in the face and having your tail nearly bitten off was not Leo's idea of friendly sparring as Raph called it.

Leo found it unbelievably hard to assert his superiority over Raph. His other brothers seemed to accept it ok, but not much so for Raph.

Michelangelo was the only one who was still pretty playful, but he was very toned down compared to his teenaged self. Lately he seemed depressed even, which was like a death sentence to such an usually happy creature.

April knew Mikey longed for a significant other, which Don promised to figure out some way of making that happen for them all. She never really paid that no mind until now.

Maybe they were using her daughter for ungodly experiments? Cloning her DNA to make female Turtles? April's mind whirled with scary thoughts. First thing she had to do was to pick a bone with Raphael.

She found Leonardo meditating in a subway car as soon as she arrived and pushed on his shoulder. He grunted in annoyance and opened his eyes irritably at her.

"April. I'd appreciate it if you'd not bother me while I'm meditating." he said with a frown. As much as April was his friend, her daughter was really getting on his nerves. With that kid around, he couldn't get any peace and quiet.

"Where's your brother, Raphael?" April demanded, her tone alerting Leo to her hostility. Believing she was mad at him for being less than friendly, he sighed and figured he should apologize.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, April. I think Raph's in the training quarters or he's in his room. Anyway, would you please not disturb me?" He paused and watched April walk off in a huff.

With his annoyance refreshed, Leo couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "I've had enough trouble with your loud-mouthed kid." He had no time to worry about silly humans. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and went back to meditating.

April didn't find Raphael in the training quarters, so she went to his room. She didn't care if it was off limits and all who venture there get a savage kick to the face, she had to see him.

She threw open the doors and surprised the turtle while he was doing some private reading. He hastily tried to hide his magazines. Seeing the naughty publications, April's rage made her stomp up to the angry protesting turtle and slap him in the face.

Of course the slap didn't hurt Raphael, but he knew an insult when he felt one. She began to yell at him and kicked the box of his favorite magazines across the room, making a mess.

"How dare you touch May like that!!!" April shrieked, hitting him again.

"What?! What the h-ll are you talking about?" he yelled back, getting pretty angry himself almost instantly.

"May said you were touching her private parts!" April screamed, slamming her fists on his chest and face. The Turtles weren't the small five foot creatures she first knew them as. They were now around six feet tall with stronger claws and beaks.

She was starting to see them more as monsters than her friends. Her anger would not let her listen to reason or hunt for the truth. She was blinded by rage.

"_**WHAT?!**_" Raphael roared, baring his teeth. April took a step back as he advanced forward in a swift charge.

"HOW COULD YOU ACCUSE ME OF DOING SUCH A _SICK_, DISHONORABLE THING AS THAT?! HOW COULD YOU?!!" he shouted furiously. Growling angrily, he struggled not to attack her.

Being accused of such a thing drove Raph into a world of insane rage. After all those years babysitting May for practically nothing, this was the thanks they got? How dare she accuse him of doing child abuse! And THAT kind of child abuse!

A moment later, Leo came in looking very grave and angry. Raph immediately let him know what April had accused him of with much hurt in his voice. It was like she split his shell in two and yanked his spine out. That's how betrayed he felt.

"Did you hear what she said to me, Leo?! Did you?!" he shouted, growling still. Leo nodded.

"Yes, I did." he said softly and looked to April. Lately, their relationship with the humans were a bit strained due to the unbelievable amounts of stress May caused them on top of losing Splinter to cancer. This was making it much worse.

"April, you must apologize to Raphael. Now." he commanded, his stare and tone very authoritative and striking. April nearly backed down due to his impressive stature, but then she stood her ground.

"April. I said-"

"I heard what you said! And no, I won't apologize to a child molester!" April shot back, but cringed when she heard Raphael vicious roar of rage.

Leonardo had to hold his brother back from really attacking April then. She backed out of the room while Leonardo yelled at Raphael to calm down as he screamed out a flurry of species slurs.

"**YOU UNGRATEFUL HUMAN! WAIT UNTIL I GET MY CLAWS ON YOU! HOW COULD YOU BE ACCUSING AN INNOCENT TURTLE LIKE THAT!? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!**" Raphael shrieked, flipping out.

He slammed Leo into the wall to get him off and went after April. Snarling viciously, Raphael grit his teeth tightly as he struggled to keep his claws to himself.

"D-MN IT, APRIL! I DIDN'T DO IT!!! WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!" he yelled, flexing and unflexing his claws. It took all the strength he had to hold himself from lashing out.

April had seen the Turtles get aggressive in battle, but not this savage and wild over an argument. She feared for her safety suddenly. She had never worried about her safety around the Turtles...until now.

The helpless hurt sad look beyond the boiling rage in Raphael's eyes struck April, helping to convince her a little. But she still had doubts. Who was telling the truth? Her daughter couldn't be lying... Why would she?

Was she being biased for May since she was her one and only daughter? Surely, May wasn't a liar. Raphael was a different matter for that, but she never known any of the Turtles to behave like mindless filthy animals with no consciences.

What if she sided with the Turtles then find out later that she was wrong and allowed her daughter to be abused further by letting the Turtles to continue babysitting May? She couldn't afford to chance that.

"April, I suggest you leave now. _Ow_..." Leo rubbed the back of his head. Why did Raph have to slam him THAT hard? Sheesh!

"I-I will." April simply said, feeling like she had more questions than answers. She hated to see the angry tears leaking from Raph's eyes as she tore away from his volcanic glare. He had stopped growling at least.

The brothers watched her leave and just then Donatello appeared looking shocked and irritated. "Did I hear right? Did April really say those things?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so, Donatello." Leonardo answered, still rubbing his head. "What's the matter with her?" Donatello asked in disbelief.

Raphael snarled hatefully and punched his fist into the side of a subway car, causing it to derail and sit off balance on the rail.

"After all we did for April and that LYING kid of hers! All those sleepless nights for what?! Man!" Raphael looked at to the port hole where April climbed out of.

"Does she think I have no honor?! Does she think I would disgrace Master Splinter's memory like-like THAT?! H-LL NO!" he ranted on, swiping at the tears in his eyes.

"I HAVE ONLY ONE THING TO SAY, APRIL!! KARMA!!! YOU HEAR ME?! _**KARMA!!!**_" Raphael went back to his room, snarling and growling all along the way. Leo and Don cringed at the sound of slamming doors seconds later.

"Why would she think Raph did that to May? It just doesn't make any sense." Donatello wondered out loud. Leonardo shook his head and shrugged. He wasn't in the mood to keep on talking about it anymore than Raphael since he now had a splitting headache.

"I don't know why, Donny. Ugh, can you make me some of your headache medicine?"

"Sure thing. Good thing Michelangelo is out getting pizza. He wouldn't be able to take an altercation like this one very well."

"Yes, I know. After Master Splinter left this world, he really hasn't been the same. I haven't heard him laugh in weeks."

"Yeah...It's really sad. I even saw him throw out all those stupid mind-numbing video games a few days ago. Strange, since he loved them so much. Ah, well. I'll get that medicine for you in a jiffy. Wait here." Donatello said and hurried off.

Leonardo sat down in a nearby easy chair and squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his temples. 'Why did you have to die like that Master Splinter? Why couldn't Donatello find a cure for your cancer? Why??' he thought in sorrow.

'How can I lead my brothers without you? I didn't have enough time to learn everything you knew. I wish you were here to help me and my brothers through this difficult time... I miss you, Sensai... Father...'

"How can he fall asleep with such a bad headache like that? It only took me a minute to make that pain-killer. Hmm..." Donatello asked out loud, then noticed the dampness around Leo's eyes.

Leonardo hastily wiped his eyes and stood up. Donatello understood. He had seen Leo's sorrow before and he felt it himself ever since he failed to save Splinter from cancer.

They knew they had to move on, but it was so hard. So very hard. Crime was at an all time high. Some nutcase above was recruiting any and all kids off the streets to steal and deal drugs.

The Turtles had their hands full keeping that nutcase from opening shop elsewhere. Whoever he was, he was just as bad as the Shredder was. They definitely didn't need _more_ problems. April sure was NOT helping either, not one tiny bit!

**Will Raphael's name be cleared of this horrid allegation? Who's really telling the truth and who will April believe in the end? How will the Turtles deal with this new distrust in April?  
To Be Continued in Chapter 2! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Who do you think is telling the truth?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	2. Leo Remembers the Jungle

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.2

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** Starfire201, thanks for the info on Spiderman, I never knew there was such a comic strip for Peter of that same story idea as mine. I don't often get to see the SpMn comics, just the movies and cartoon basically, so never knew of it, but thanks for telling me, since I love Spiderman too. ^.^  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

The next evening, Leonardo made his way over to Donatello's room to wake him up. They needed to patrol the streets and clean it up, but first, they had to train.

Leo decided against checking up on Raph and went to Michelangelo's room instead. To his surprise, he was actually up early. But he gave half-dead answers when Leo told him to go to the training room.

"Yeah, whatever..." the saddened depressed Mikey replied, his head bowed as he sat staring at a whole cold pie of pizza. Leo sighed in defeat and went to Don's room then. But who he saw wasn't Donnie.

"What are you doing in Donatello's room, Raphael?" Leo asked when he got there. He stood behind his younger brother while Raph typed away.

Leo thought it was strange for Raph to be using the computer. He usually didn't and often got Donatello to check the underground files from secret crime fighting organizations on the latest in crime-busting info.

"Why do humans do these things to themselves?" Raph asked in disgust, tapping on the keyboard. "What?" Leo asked, watching the screen change to different web pages.

"People are getting scammed right out of their homes over stupid nonsense, that's what!" Raph scowled as he read another scam report. He was really looking on how he could clear his name with April and Casey.

Surely there had been innocent people accused before of such terrible things and they would know how to fix such messes. Instead of pointing that out to his older brother, he pretended to care about other human problems with scams to hide his extreme sensitivity to this new problem he had.

No way was he going to let Leo see him be weak, no matter what it was. If only he was the eldest brother, he could have been leader instead.

He knew why Leo was the leader and everything. He learned it the hard way eight years ago when he almost got Leo killed. Ever since then, he had grown closer to his older brother and a bit nicer to his younger siblings.

With this new shake-up in his life, Raph felt himself losing control again. He resented how Leo was better than him with being in control and always sickeningly calm and such a 'goodie-goodie'.

Yes, he did love his brothers, even Leo, but lately, he felt that same hate he had in him before returning and it frightened him. It in turn made him feel even more hostile and angry.

Without Splinter there to guide them anymore and with Leo doing it instead disgusted Raph to death. He was able to stifle his jealousy before since he had so much respect for Splinter to do so and also the fact that he didn't want Leo to get killed.

Now, that jealousy was slowly resurfacing while eating away at the respect he had for his brother before. It was respect he knew Leo deserved and he gave it out of true love he had for him as a brother.

With the new hurt in his heart caused by April's terrible allegations, he felt everything was tumbling down on him. That rage he barely could control was unleashed within him and he wanted the humans to suffer.

It was like something had snapped inside him and he was beginning to grow disgusted more and more by every little thing. He hoped the internet would have some answers for him, but he didn't have enough time to search since Leo arrived.

He had to go on about the scams so Leo wouldn't see this new 'weakness' he had. Raph was super touchy about anything that remotely made him seem weak. He felt like seeking help was a weakness and he wanted to keep his search for a solution to his new problem as low key as possible.

"Look at this one for example. Some idiot advertises that his mineral pills can magically make people smarter, or thinner, or whatever! That's so stupid! Humans are supposed to be the 'intelligent' species here..." Raph sat up from the computer chair and stretched his tense muscles.

"Ok, Raph. That's enough. We have to train." Leo said, turning to walk away.

"Yeah, yeah..." Raph paused for a bit, before making a really disgusted face as he walked side-by-side his brother.

"What is it now?" Leo asked, sounding tired.

"Nothing."

Leo knew that wasn't true and decided to say something comforting to Raph. At least, Leo believed it would be comforting and fulfilling too.

"Don't worry, Raph. I'll get this mess straightened out between you and April. But in the meantime, I want you to behave yourself. I don't want you blowing up at her again, no matter what. We want her to trust us again, so we have to be patient and prove to her that you're innocent. She knows it in her heart to be true, she just needs time."

"Heart? What heart? Humans do **_not_** have hearts, Leo! It's obvious they only like to torture our kind! Every time I watch AnimalPlanet on TV, there's **_always_** ANOTHER animal who has been victimized! Everyday!" Raph grit his teeth as he stated his rant huffily.

"Now, you know that goes both ways. Animals hurt and kill people too." Leo interjected.

"They should do it more..."

"Raphael!"

"Hey, there's d-mn well enough of those stinkin' humans up there! Why not let some of our kin clear out the troublesome ones? I mean, there's over six billion of those animal-torturing monsters up there! They need to be cut down!"

"Raph, why must you be filled with so much hatred...?" Leo gave him a saddened look that Raph translated to 'I-pity-you'.

"I just hate injustice, that's all. It seems like animals always **_have_** to be the lower species... It's wrong. D-mned stinking humans..."

"Don't forget what makes us like we are today, Raph. Being human-like makes us better than our savage animal kin. We are only civilized because...we are somewhat human..." Leo said, pointing out that they owed humans their mutated improvements on themselves.

As much as Raph hated to admit it, Leonardo was right. They were not mindless turtles living out meaningless lives in a bowl somewhere since they had been mutated with human DNA.

"I suppose..." Raph finally said, a slight growl escaping his exasperated sigh.

"Remember to keep your mind free of any destructive hatred... Because if you don't, you will become worse than what you hate. Alright?" Leo said, padding his brother's shoulder. His words annoyed Raph. Leo was doing it again! Pretending to be Splinter!

"Oh, knock it off, Leo! You're **_not_** Splinter, ok?! I don't need you lecturing me like some naive baby turtle who just hatched! I have every right to resent the humans. They did us wrong and I shouldn't have to accept their sh-t ever!" Raph yelled, shoving Leo's claw off.

Raphael suddenly felt that same regret wash over him once he saw the immense sadness in Leonardo's eyes. He sighed disgust and shame.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean that, Leo." he said, but it was too late. Leo felt that same painful hurting stab his heart once more. It was something he had hoped not to feel again. Only Raph could make him feel this way.

It made Leo believe he wasn't a good enough older brother to his siblings, especially Raph. It made him think they were secretly hating him, well at least Raph might be, and only pretending to love and respect him.

If he wasn't a good leader or brother, he was nothing. He couldn't stand that and he hated how Raph could make him feel so worthless. Didn't he know he had feelings too? He was trying to help him to be a better Turtle! Was it a crime to help your brother like that?

"You complain about the humans so much, why don't you look at yourself? You're not acting any better than they are..." Leo said in a low tone. Then he raised his voice.

"Do what you want then! Go on and let your hatred control you! Go up and just kill all the humans with your stupid chains or why don't you get Donatello to poison their water supply? Since we drink the same water, we can all die together..." Leo said angrily and left quickly.

"Aw, Leo, come on! I said I was sorry, d-mn it! Get back here!"

When Leo didn't turn around down the tunnel, Raph frowned. Here he was trying to say he was sorry and his stupid brother wouldn't let him. He ran after him and made him turn around.

But Leo pushed him away roughly. "You really hurt me, Raph. I'm trying the best I can to lead you guys without Splinter. You can at least help, not make it harder for me!"

"Look, Leo. I said I was sorry. Ok? I truly am. You're only trying to help me and I appreciate that. I really do. You're a good brother to me, Leo." Raph put his arm around his brother's shell and hugged him sideways. He couldn't afford to have Leo mad at him at a time like this. He needed all his brothers on his side to help prove his innocence.

"Ok, then." Leo said, smiling and began walking to the training room. "Go get Mikey and Don. We must train before we go on patrol."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Raph said, grinning. Leo smiled back. Somehow he would have to keep his brothers tightly knitted together if they were to get through this difficult time with April.

* * *

Leo was glad to have the training session go well with all his three brothers. Things seemed to be back to normal as they were before April came with those allegations.

Up on the streets, Leo decided to cheer Mikey up by buying his favorite pizza with all the teeth-rotting toppings at Vinny's Pizza. It was a place where they often got pizza from that thankfully didn't question the customers' strange appearances.

Mikey seemed to enjoy that since he wasn't allowed to have sweets since he had lost a few teeth to them, but he was still not acting like his real self.

Michelangelo didn't dare to tell his brothers what was making him feel so downhearted. For months he was talking to a pretty human girl named Kameko through the phone and now she wanted to see him. He had found her on the internet at a gaming website chatroom and exchanged phone numbers with her.

It was very easy to make friends with this radical turtle loving girl. That was what drew her to him since her favorite animal in the whole wide world was turtles. Her name even meant, 'turtle child'. What more could a mutant turtle ask for in a human?

She seemed to be crazy about him and she had sent him plenty of photos of herself to his e-mail inbox. Mikey knew there was no way he could go see her looking like how he did, even though Kameko was a turtle-lover.

He liked her a lot himself, but he had a sinking feeling that if he did show himself to her, she would be terrified of him. He wasn't a regular turtle like the ones Kameko was familiar with, he was a mutated one. Definitely not in the normal category. Mikey longed to look human, not a six foot four inched beast from the sewers.

He feared his brothers would not understand his wanting to be human, truly human all the way. He doubted that Donatello would be able to change him into one too, since he failed at curing Splinter of his lung and liver cancer.

Mikey knew he couldn't ask him to grant his impossible wish. Even if he could do it, he probably wouldn't since he'd probably find some dangerous factor involved with the whole situation and Mikey definitely would be disappointed to death.

After hearing Raph's hateful rants against humans during the night April accused him of defiling May, Mikey feared that if he did became human somehow, Raph might hate him and even disown him or something.

Having any of his brothers rejecting him was not something Mikey could take. He bruised easily inside and unlike the others, he still had that child-like spirit.

He thought back to his crushes he had before as a teen. April was one for a while until Casey came along and he had to give up on her. Mitsu from feudal Japan was another girl he liked, but she already had a boyfriend and she was way too old for him since she came from the past.

Now after so many years of no girls to seriously pursue, Kameko was the one Mikey really wanted to get closer to. But how? No matter how much she adored turtles, would she adore a mutant one that was both human and animal?

Even if she did accept him (which he doubted), how could they be together? People would not understand and criticize Kameko. They would insult and belittle her for being involved with a mutant creature, a freak in their eyes.

Plus, they would hunt Mikey down and probably kill him for trying to get together with a human girl. They couldn't be part of their world, just like Master Splinter said several times before he died.

And if he was killed, surely his brothers would want revenge and possibly return the 'favor' to the humans. And the humans would make sure all his brothers were dead if they killed people like that. Not good.

Michelangelo sighed as he had a bitter thought. 'Love doesn't conquer all barriers...' He wished he was either all human or all turtle, not a mutated mixture of both. It made things so much harder for him.

"Mikey, are you feeling alright? You look kinda sick." Donatello asked, genuinely concerned for his brother's well-being. Leo felt the same.

"Did you want to go back to the Lair? You can if you need to." Leo offered. Raph had left to go on his own and Leo let him since he could tell he was getting annoyed by Donatello's non-stop talk about the latest encyclopedias he just got.

Knowing he couldn't share his troubles with any of them, Mikey opted to go back home. Leo and Don watched their bro wander off towards the abandoned subway station. Leo sighed tiredly. What was up with Mikey?

"I wish I knew what was bothering him..." Leo said, shaking his head.

"He's probably still bummed out from losing Splinter. He's more fragile inside than the rest of us, you know?" Don said, getting up from his seat.

"Yes, I know. Well, we'd better get out there and look out for that nutty dealer." The two brothers left the parlor, but then Leo stopped after they were several yards outside.

"You smell that, don't you?" he asked, sniffing again to be absolutely sure. Don stiffened as he too noticed the familiar stench.

"I sure do... It's coming Southeast... Down that alley to our left." Don took another whiff and coughed. "Ugh! That reeks!" he said, gagging.

"Let's go check it out." Leo suggested. Donatello nodded and followed his brother to the alley where the stink was coming from. As they suspected, a rotting human carcass laid behind a dumpster.

"I just know that crazy dealer had something to do with this..." whispered Leo, noting how the body had been decapitated.

"And the humans call _us_ animals..." Don tsked, shaking his head. "Such a pity."

"We have to stop this somehow. It's our duty to protect this city, no matter what." Leo said, going past his brother so they could leave the narrow alley.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and Leo cried out in pain as he fell to his knees. He grabbed his left thigh in obvious agony while Donatello easily figured out where the shot came from by how the bullet cut through the air.

In seconds, he had the shooter on the ground with the end of his bo down on the shooter's throat.

"How **_dare_** you shoot him like that!! Why did you do it, scum? Why?!" Donatello yelled, pushing down harder. The shooter squeaked, struggling to breathe.

"Donatello, stop! Stop it!" Leo cried, hobbling over. Don reluctantly eased up on the shooter's neck, but not too much.

"Who are you?"

The shooter pushed Don's bo away from his neck and jumped to his feet. He made two fast back-flips to make an escape, but Don caught up to him. He grabbed the man from behind and put the guy into a tight choke-hold.

"Answer him!" Don growled, dragging the struggling man back to where Leo was sitting on a wooden crate.

"No, no! Please, I _can't_ say anything! He will kill me!" the man cried, frightened.

"Kill you? Who? What's his name?" Leo asked, trying to will away the pain deep in his bleeding leg.

"No, no no no NO! I can not! I can't, I-"

Suddenly a dart appeared in the man's neck and in a few seconds, he was dead. Sensing the life gone from him, Don dropped the corpse and both Turtles looked to where the death dart came from.

A tall figure was seen for a split-second on top of rooftop several stories up and then he was gone. Don was about to give chase when Leo commanded him not to. Going back to his older brother's side, he checked his wound.

"How bad is it?" Leo asked, wincing as Don inspected his bloody thigh. He smelled a slight scent of calcium through the heavy odor blood and that wasn't a good thing.

"Um, you'd better not walk for now. I'll carry you back to the Lair." Don said, helping him to climb onto his shell. Leo decided he'd rather not know just yet how bad the wound was. Don didn't want to tell him, so it had to be pretty bad.

"Whoever that creep was up on that roof is going to pay for sending out assassins to get us. I swear, I'd never forgive those humans if they killed any of us. Never..." Don growled. Such injustice against them!

All he had now was his brothers. If they were gone, he feared what he might need to do...

"Donatello! We only kill, if we must... Not for revenge, but only in self-defense." Leo paused to will away the pain once more. Don made a face and shook his head.

"But you killed for revenge..." Don said, pointing out something.

"Yes, I did and I was wrong for doing it. Don't repeat my mistakes, little brother." Leo said, wishing he didn't have to think back to those times.

He was barely sixteen and sent to a jungle in Central America by Splinter who was concerned that Leo was getting overwhelmed by Raphael's bad attitude.

They fought so much that Splinter knew it was time Leonardo had to learn to be a man and not a boy who couldn't handle his little brother's smart remarks. Being away from Raphael for two years was bliss and helping those in the villages near the jungle gave him much self-worth.

But in the beginning, it didn't start out so great. Being used to modern conveniences, Leo discovered how disgustingly hard it was to survive in the jungle.

For nights on end, he had to go to sleep knowing all kinds of insects were crawling on him. He was home-sick fairly soon and lonely. The only nice thing was the heat. It was actually pleasant since he was cold-blooded and he didn't need to bask like all his brothers had to back home.

As the weeks past, Leo began to realize what it felt like to be a turtle, a real one running loose free and wild. He did as he pleased and finally started to like living in the jungle.

Soon Leo decided he should expand his territories and patrol the nearby villages daily. He took chances to make friends with the humans, but only in disguise.

In a hooded robe, he presented himself to people he believed would be helpful to him like April and Casey. He knew humans well enough to tell which ones were approachable or not.

After a few short days, Leo soon knew which villages were being forced to pay 'protection' money and it angered him. He would fix this, he had to! The next time the goons came, Leo was ready for them.

He caught the bad guys, let them go and returned the money to the rightful owners. But this nonsense continued for months and months, until Leo made sure it couldn't continue.

The same bunch of criminals came one day as the sun was setting. Leo watched the scum torture the villagers and fought hard to not attack as they beat up women and children.

If he attacked while the thugs were doing these evil deeds, they could grab a hostage or two and force him to back down. He waited until they were far enough from the village before he striked.

Perfecting his ninja skills of stealth and speed, he had the gang surrounded close to a trap he set up earlier. He would get them to fall into the trap one by one and starve them into repenting.

Instead, some of them fell into the trap and the others attacked him head on. He threw off the robe he used to cover his green skin and hoped his animal features would make them stop and back away.

They did stop and Leo felt as if he had control again. He advanced to them and they backed up to the trap again.

"What are you?!" cried one man, shaking with fright.

"Fool! Haven't you heard of the legend? He is the lord of the jungle! He punishes all those who hurt the weak!" said another man, who was seriously thinking about giving up his criminal ways.

"Forgive me, O'Great Lord of the Reptiles! I will never hurt the weak again!" the guy cried, bowing.

"Get up. I'm n-" Leo tried to say, but the leader of the gang refused to give up so easily. He threw a rock at Leo and the Turtle moved aside so fast that, to the untrained eye, it looked like the rock went through him.

"He **_IS_** a ghost!" squealed the shaky wimpy guy and ran off screaming into the underbrush. The repenting guy did the same, believing Leo was a ghost too.

Leo sighed and rolled his eyes. Don't humans know a teenaged mutant ninja turtle when they see one? Sheesh!

Suddenly, a bullet grazed his shoulder. Wincing, he grabbed it and grit his teeth at the gang leader, who was by himself. Leo pulled his hand away to see blood. He narrowed his eyes at the evil guy, who laughed proudly like he had won.

"You're not a ghost... Just a freak of nature!" the guy scoffed, taking aim again with his gun. Before he could shoot again, Leo had the gun sliced in two. In the process, he cut the man's left hand wide open.

Screaming, the guy clutched the wound and glared with much hatred. Leo felt anger rising inside him as he glared back at this self-righteous idiot.

"What's the matter? Can't stand to be bitten back? Didn't think anyone could stand up to your stupid little gang? Huh? Well, I got news for you. This all ends tonight. Here and now..." Leo snarled, baring his teeth as he held his blades ready.

He circled the gang leader, ready to deal out justice. The guy saw a large machete on the ground a few feet away and lunged for it. Leo let him, watching with disdain.

The gang leader charged at him with a crazed battle cry and Leo deflected the attack with a crash of metal. The maniac attacked again and again. Leo fought with the criminal for a few minutes, until he had him on the ground under his blades.

"Change your ways and you can go! But if I catch you harming the villages, I won't give you a second chance..." Leo said gruffly, keeping the human pinned down. The guy laughed evilly.

"I'll **_never_** stop harming the villages! Especially THAT village! Why? Because I KNOW you care for that woman there! Mariah..." the gang leader said evilly, like he would do unspeakable things if he got away.

Many times before, his men had be unsuccessful in their raiding missions, especially when they attacked Mariah's village. His spies had reported seeing a strange figure with a long tan robe on sighted near Mariah's home mostly at night.

The gang leader now figured out who that was now. He had more reasons to go back and to pillage that village again. Plus, he planned on killing that Mariah woman before this freak's eyes.

"Once you let me go, I promise to rape and butcher that wench in front of you! And there's not a d-mn thing you can do about it, freak!" the gang leader gloated.

"**_Don't_** push me!" Leo growled, pressing his right blade to the man's jugular. The guy simply laughed. "You don't have the guts to, you stupid lizard! But I do!"

The gang leader shoved his jungle knife up under Leo's left arm and the point stuck him deep right behind his armpit. Leo screamed from the shocking pain.

Leo yanked the knife out and tossed it about fifteen feet away. Leo snarled down at the stupid human, his rage swelling. Now the gang leader was without a weapon. Finally, the idiot was no longer so cocky.

"N-no, no! Please, I beg for mercy! Please!" he squealed, then made a desperate attempt to punch Leo. This prompted Leo to react instinctively and with his animal side strong, he didn't think twice about it. Biting was always a good defense.

In an instant, Leo caught the man's hand in his beak and bit it clean off the wrist. The next instant, Leo had the gang leader's neck sliced wide open. But he didn't stop there and kept hacking away at the evil guy until his rage calmed some.

Digging his claws into the dead man's skull, he dragged the cut up corpse to the trap area where the other gang members were either half dead or already dead from their long fall.

Leo tossed the dead gang leader's bloody body in and felt strange . He never killed before, but he did not feel very bad from it. He was ridding the world of some ruthless evil people. This was a good thing. This was justice to him.

It was just he wasn't used to it... Yet. Should he feel guilty? No, he did the right thing. Those he killed were those who would not change. Spitting out the blood that got into his mouth, Leo went seeking for water.

He washed up at a nearby stream and despite the pain, Leo got all the things stolen ready to be returned back to Mariah's village.

He got the stolen goods over halfway there before he had to stop. The bleeding wouldn't stop and it wasn't good for a ninja to leave a trail of any kind. Even though the injury to his shoulder wasn't a big deal, the one under his left arm was.

Leo didn't want to be seen at Mariah's village too soon, fearing she would be held partly responsible for Leo killing the gang leader guy and his men. Instead, Leo decided to wait until he healed up first before returning the goods.

Unfortunately, after a week, it was obvious the wound under his left arm was only getting worse. Clawing and ripping the dead flesh away only reopened the wound. It felt like flies laid eggs in it, making for an extremely itchy problem.

He couldn't afford to harbor any infections like this so he hoped no one would notice him at Mariah's village so he could seek medical help from her. Unable to stand the pain and itching, he had to go and now.

The wound was bleeding and oozing worse than before and he knew if he didn't do something, he'd lose his arm. Packing special healing leaves into the wound, Leo threw on his tattered robe as he hurried to the village.

Mariah saw him coming from afar and rushed to him. It didn't take her long to see the blood seeping into the robe.

"Leonardo! What happened?" she asked, allowing him to lean on her. "I got hurt and it's infected badly. Can you help me?" he asked, feeling light-headed. Where was a veterinarian when you needed one?

"Yes, certainly! Come inside." Mariah said, helping him into her home and a chair. She called for her younger brother to get water and bandages while she got some salve.

The younger brother went to Leo and tended to his wound under his left arm. "Sister! Hurry! Leonardo's wound is extremely infected!"

Leo grit his teeth as Mariah cleaned the wound and covered it with salve, which stung something so terrible that Leo roared in restrained agony.

He sounded so animal-like that it surprised him since he never sounded much like one before. The jungle really brought the turtle out of him. She patched up his shoulder too even though it appeared to have healed on its own.

After he was treated, Leo headed for the door, but fell from the massive blood loss and stress. Mariah begged him to stay in her house until he was strong again.

Having no other choice, Leo accepted and went asleep quickly on a bed of sweet smelling grasses. In the morning, he overheard some of Mariah's visiting friends come over to give some joyous good news.

They learned that the 'ghost' of the jungle had killed that notorious gang leader and most of his men. Some of the villagers found their stolen goods in the jungle, then followed a strange dark trail which they believed to be blood to the death pit with the gang leader inside dead.

The villagers were so happy and thankful for the ghost helping them like this. Immediately stories and rumors were created and were kept going strong months afterwards.

Leo was well enough to go back to the jungle after a month of healing and ready to go home to New York, but Mariah begged him not to. She feared she wouldn't see him again should something worse happen, here or at New York.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to us, Leonardo." she said, holding onto his hand. She had grown very fond of him over the weeks he had stayed. "We would still be slaves to those pirates if you weren't here to help us."

"Someone else will come along to exploit us again. You can not leave us, Leonardo. Please." Mariah said, letting go of his hand to put her arms around his shell to hug him.

"Mariah, don't do this. I have to go back. My brothers need me. They-" Leo tried to say, but she injected.

"We need you more! I need you... Please, don't go..."

Sighing, Leo put his arms around her and hugged back. "Alright... I'll stay a while longer." he whispered, feeling bad to be doing this to his brothers. They were expecting him to come back after a year.

After a few months of staying longer, Leo began to forget about his brothers and enjoyed his life with Mariah. The villagers treated him like a celebrity and allowed him to be their leader in many affairs. It felt wonderful to be accepted.

At night in the jungle, he was catching bad guys here and there. He hunted them down and killed off the ones that were too troublesome. Mess with Leonardo, king of the jungle and you died.

Leo's life wasn't all that perfect in the village though. A guy named Baytos was trying to force Mariah to marry him and Leo had seen how rough this guy was with her.

Baytos had no respect for Mariah's little brother. The jerk even punched the kid in the face when Mariah was struggling to get away as her brother tried to stop him. Leo drew the line there and he grabbed the man's hand, tearing it away from Mariah's arm.

"Leave her alone, Baytos." Leo commanded and proceeded to lead Mariah and her brother away from the scene. Baytos grabbed a hoe and struck Leo in the back with it. By now the whole village was watching.

"Come and fight then, Leonardo! I will not back down just because you say so! Mariah's mine! She belongs to me, you freak!" Baytos said, challenging him.

"She doesn't belong to anyone. And no thanks. I don't fight needlessly." Leo said, not hurt by the hit to the shell. Baytos scoffed.

"You will not fight? Then you are a coward! Freak!" he chided, laughing a shrill high pitched ugly snicker. His close supporters giggled with him.

"Forcing a woman to go with you and beating her little brother up when he tries to defend her from you, that's a real coward Baytos. Change your ways or else you'll regret it."

Baytos didn't heard Leo right and thought he simply said, 'Change your ways or else.' He had a response for that one.

"Or else what? You'll murder me? Ha ha! Yes, I understand now. It's much easier to just kill off people who don't agree with you, isn't it Leonardo? You are a soulless animal, using death as a way to force the villagers to worship you! You have no honor, filthy ninja scum!" Baytos yelled, who was a hater of ninjas.

He was supposed to be a fair samurai, but a lone ninja disgraced and defeated him in the black of night. He didn't get a good look at the ninja, but self-consciously he believed that ninja was Leonardo.

"You are no leader here! This is a village of men, not of lizards! Animal, you should go back to the jungle, where you came from!" Baytos yelled.

'Idiot, I came from New York! Errgh... You will not trick me into fighting you, Baytos.' Leo thought as he went into Mariah's house with her brother. That evening, Leo went to his pile of fresh grasses to rest on.

He thought of making writing a letter to his family back home, but as he started to, Mariah came in. She noticed what he was doing and thought it was a letter telling them he was coming back home soon.

"Please, Leonardo! Don't!" she cried, hastily knocking away the paper and pen supplies to the floor.

"Don't what, Mariah?" he asked, confused. She collapsed into his arms and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Don't leave. Please, stay with me. I know once you go, Baytos will torture me. So, please don't write that letter to your family that you're going home!" she said softly, tears brimming her lashes.

"I wasn't going to write to them telling them that. I was just going to tell them how I was and how things were going and-"

"No! If you do, they will get worried and come here to take you back! Don't let them come here, don't let them know where you are! I beg you!" Mariah shouted, breaking out into sobs.

Leo held her close and stroked her head gently. "Shhh... It's ok, Mariah... I won't write to them then, alright?"

"Do you promise?" she asked, looking up at him. He wiped her tears away with a smile.

"Ok, I promise." he replied softly with a gentle laugh, closing his eyes for a moment when he felt something weird.

He opened his eyes to see Mariah kissing him on the lips. Frozen with puzzlement and surprise, Leo sat there as a rush of emotions hit him.

As much as he'd like something as this to work out, he knew it never could. Yes, he did like her, but he vaguely still held a candle for Lotus.

Was it silly to keep thinking of her? Lotus wasn't a ninja for good. She was a lost cause. Besides, things wouldn't work out between them either.

He wished knew what to do. His heart begged him to accept Mariah who loved him for who he was, but his mind told him to stop this nonsense at once. He would only hurt himself and Mariah if he didn't.

Finally, he regained control of his muscles and turned his face away from her. She was confused and saddened. Didn't he feel the same way as she did?

"What's wrong?" she asked, trying to bring his face towards her, but he put his hand up to stop her. "Leonardo..."

"Mariah, we can't... I can't..." Leo avoided her eyes as he spoke, but then looked into her eyes as he continued. "You're supposed to be with a man... Not...a thing like me."

"You **_are_** a man, Leonardo. You have the body and the mind of a man, you are no animal as Baytos says! You are more of a man than he'll ever be!" Mariah cried, not caring if Leo was a half human, half animal mutant. She loved him for who he was, not what he was.

"I'm sorry, Mariah. This shell on my back says I am a turtle and you've got to accept that we can't be together. No matter what. Don't make this any harder for us both. Please..." Leo said, his voice easily hinting that he indeed liked her as well, but wouldn't allow them to be together.

Master Splinter sent him out here to learn discipline and to be a better leader. Nothing else. He had to stick to that.

"Someday I will have to go home. But for now, I'll protect you and your brother from Baytos until I can find someone who can take care of you for me." Leo tore his gaze away from hers when he saw her tears.

Taking deep breaths to keep his emotions from rising, he stood up and pretended to find great interest in fixing up the grass bed on the floor. Mariah went to him and touched his shaking hands as he fumbled around in the grass pile.

He stopped instantly and looked at her with sad longing eyes. To have a significant other! How wonderful that would be! But with the species barrier and having no females in his species, he was stuck to this tormenting limbo.

"You do feel the same as I do..." Mariah whispered, shaming Leo for still wanting he knew he shouldn't have. Leo furiously went back to fluffing up the grasses and Mariah, defeated, stood up to go the door to leave.

Leo slowly looked to her and squeezed his eyes shut hard. Surely he could have just a tiny bit of happiness, even if it could never be. It was better than nothing...

As she opened the door, she was stopped by Leo and in his arms as he kissed her in deep yearning. She kissed him back, holding him tightly. She pulled away to nuzzle her face into his neck, feeling very happy.

The two separated after a while, their eyes speaking to each other. Mariah left smiling ear to ear as she went to her bedroom. Leo went to his grass pile and went to sleep smiling.

'Please understand, my brothers... I can't come home... Not yet...'

Leonardo shook his head, clearing his mind of that flashback. It was over ten years ago and he hadn't heard from Mariah since he found her a nice guy to take care of her. She probably married that guy and forgot all about Leo by now.

Good. Besides, what he felt back then couldn't have been real love. She loved him, but Lotus was Leo's first love and he couldn't really forget about her. Though by now, he figured he might as well...

"Promise me. Promise me that you'll not repeat my mistakes, Donatello. Don't kill unless you really have no other choice to protect the innocent. I'd prefer it if you'd never stain your hands with blood no matter what. Alright?"

"I promise, Leonardo." Don replied after a few steps of silence. He wondered if Splinter would have approved of Leo's killing and their reasons for it. They never told him of it since Leo begged them not to.

They agreed not to tell Splinter, fearing he would take it badly and feel as if he failed somewhere in training Leo and blame himself for this. They knew killing was wrong, but Leo insisted it was for the best.

Leo just feared Splinter wouldn't agree and disown him or something. The brothers didn't want that or to be separated, so they kept their beaks shut.

"I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I feel like Raphael, it's so weird. I'm nothing like him! At least, I hope so...for the anger department..." Don said, surprised by the vicious fury inside him when Leo was hurt like that. Usually he had a good grip on his temper, it hardly exploded like it did moments before.

Don liked not to fight if he could help it. Curling up with a good book that was at least three hundred pages thick was what he liked to do instead. He loved to read and work, so he was plenty happy there.

"You are his brother and we are of the same blood. I suppose it's natural for us to be like one another once and a while. What is important is that we stay together as a family. We must not ever lose our brotherhood. Not to anything." Leo said, coughing just then.

Donatello stopped walking for a moment as something hot and wet sprayed the side of his face. He wiped it away to see that it was blood!

He looked over his shoulder to see Leo's beak smeared with splatters of blood. He immediately double-timed it back to the Lair then. He had no time to waste. Don had to save his brother at all costs!

**To Be Continued in Chapter 2! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Who do you think was on the rooftop? Will Mikey get to be with Kameko? Will Leonardo be alright?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	3. Warpath Raph & Happy Mikey

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.3

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and I have yet to see the newer TMNT, so this fic is more based off the live action movie Turtles, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies).  
Please R&R and please no flames!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

Raphael headed over to Casey's favorite lookout, knowing he would be there and April wouldn't. He jumped down behind Casey and the man turned around with his hockey stick ready.

"You d-mn bastard! What the h-ll are you doing here?!" Casey shouted through his mask, swinging his stick angrily. Raph grabbed the stick and yanked it away from him. He easily snapped it in half with his claws.

"Listen to me, you idiot! I didn't touch your daughter, ok? I'm a turtle, she's a human! I have no interests in humans like that, alright? I mean, NONE!" Raph shouted back.

"Bullsh-t! April told me all about how you guys liked to practice on her!" Casey scowled. "I wish I didn't take it so lightly back then!"

"D-mn, there's no talking to you is there? Ugh! Look. I'm telling you, I didn't touch, screw, lick, whatever the h-ll you think I did to her, got it? And we didn't 'practice' on April, you hairball!" Raph threw his hands up into the air in aggravation.

"Jeez! Mikey only ASKED her what girls do or don't like and that's it! We never had sex with her, **_OK?_**" Raph growled, wishing he could get through to his best human friend he ever had.

Casey pulled his mask up and glared at him with a distrustful look. Raph sighed in terrible exasperation and rolled his eyes. How could he convince Casey without losing his temper and screaming like a psychopath?

"Come on, Case. You know me, I'd never do anything like that to your kid or anyone else's kid for that matter." Raph said, his voice pleading. Casey lowered his second hockey stick and pondered it a bit.

Casey's trust in Raph was very strong. If he wasn't a father, he would have believed that Raph was innocent no matter what. But this was _his_ only daughter they were talking about here. Did he trust his daughter or his long time friend?

Maybe... Maybe Raph didn't do it...

"Well, if you didn't do it... Then who did? If it was one of your brothers, I'd sure h-ll snap their-"

"H-ll no, they'd never do anything like that! Jeez, what in the world is the matter with you? Did you or April ever get the kid tested? Checked? Anything?" Raph asked, getting disgusted on how stupid and slow the humans were.

And humans complained that turtles were slow!

"Um, not really... We never had any time to yet."

"Mistake number one. Go get her checked and tell me what happens. I-" Raph stopped when he heard a shot and a familiar scream.

"Hey, that kinda sounded like Leo...!" Casey said, bewildered.

"Oh no..." Raph said, feeling sick to his stomach.

He raced off to where he heard the noise and saw a figure on the rooftop shooting a dart to a human that one of his brothers was holding down. The figure shot another dart, but Raph wasn't sure since it was so small and he was too far away to see.

Raph chased after the figure and tackled the person from behind. The worm wiggled free and blasted Raph in the face with what seemed like ten smoke pellets.

Coughing, Raph slammed his fist into the rooftop for losing the guy. Casey caught up and fanned away the smoke. "What happened?" he asked, confused as usual.

"Some maggot killed some guy down there and I think he's the one who shot Leo. Want to go on a worm chase?" Raph asked, flexing his claws. That figure was so skinny and slippery, he had a hard time grabbing onto whoever it was.

"Love to, but can't. Since you guys can't baby-sit any more, I've got to take over where our neighbors can't. Sorry, Raph. I don't know what to think right now about you Turtles..." Casey said, walking off.

"Oh, ho! So you think over ten years of friendship means jack sh-t when your kid spews a big fat lie? D-mn, you KNOW I didn't do it, so cut me some slack here, will ya?" Raph shouted at him and began to leave himself.

Ticked off by Raph's poor choice of words, Casey flipped him the middle finger and turned away.

"Yeah, right back at ya, buddy! Go get your d-mned kid checked and you'll see who's telling the truth!" Raph scowled and went down to the streets to look for his brothers. Ignorant humans, why were they SO stupid??

Raph hurried down to his brothers and seeing how Don was having trouble carrying Leo, he took over. Raph was the strongest in the brotherhood and Don was the weakest.

Don didn't care about being as or more physically strong than his brothers, he just wanted his mind to be powerful. And it was. So, Don gladly accepted Raph's aid. He helped get Leo onto Raph's back and warned him not to jostle Leo around too much.

"Be careful, his leg's shattered and I believe he's been poisoned." Don said as quietly as he could directly to Raph, but Leo overheard and felt terrible. If anything happened to him, his brothers would be leaderless like before and helpless...

"Great. Just great! Let's find the dirtbag who did this to Leo once you get him patched up, Don." Raph said as they traveled back home.

"No! I don't want you two looking for more trouble. Mikey's out there alone and I want you two to find him and bring him home, not get shot too!" Leo ordered.

Raph was glad Leo couldn't see the disgusted look on his face then. Another silly order? To play it safe and hide like cowards? No way! The sleezeball who hurt Leo had to pay big time!

"Raph, you'd better listen to me... I don't want you getting hurt. Do as I say." Leo spoke slowly deliberately, as if he knew Raph was once again not wanting to obey his orders.

"Ok, ok! Fine. We'll go find Mikey and bring him home." Raph snapped back quickly. The brothers got home and Don went to work making an antidote and pain-killers for Leo right away.

Raph did his best to avoid Leo's blood-spraying coughs when he noticed something on his older brother's neck. It was strange miniature dart thing, so small it was close to the size of a pea. He yanked off the tiny thing, causing much shocking pain to Leo.

"OW! What the h-ll?! What's wrong with you? Clawing at my neck like that!? Ergh!" Leo scowled, rubbing his throat.

"D-mn, would you look at this little thing! It's pumping you full of sh-t this entire time! Why didn't you or Don notice this?" Raph asked, disgusted. Leo took it from him and inspected it. He had no answer for Raph on that one.

Raph remembered back to the skinny 'worm' figure he tried to catch on the rooftop. Whoever that was, was the one who shot this dart at Leo! Raph just knew it.

"Someone's trying to knock us off, Leo! And they're starting with you! Just let me go out there so I can find and knock them off first!" Raph cried and stamped his foot when Leo shook his head.

"Oh, come on! We shouldn't have to take this!" Raph shouted, frowning. "Do you like being shot at or something? Does being poisoned amuse you? We have to stop these jokers before something really bad happens!"

"That's why I want you to go find Mikey and bring him home. I don't know why he turned his cell phone off, so we can't call him to come back. Take Donnie with you and find our little brother." Leo squeezed his eyes shut as he shifted his weight into a more comfortable position on the couch.

He felt dizzy from the poison and began to worry for his brothers' safety. With him now disabled, how could he help them if they needed it? Evil never slept and Leo knew he had to be many steps ahead of the enemy or else they would be destroyed.

"I can't live with myself if something happens to Mikey." he said softly. Raph fidgeted irritably on his heels. "Yeah, well, me neither. I can go by myself, Leo! I don't need Donnie, he'll only slow me down."

"What was that?" Don asked, annoyed. "Alright then, if you think I'm so 'slow', feel free to go ahead on your own."

Don paused before he went on. "I hate to say this, but I really dislike going anywhere with you, Raph. Always hitting me whenever I don't agree with you OR obey you, that's barbaric!" Don said, tattling on him to Leo on purpose to get back at Raph.

"What?!" Leo cried, obviously angry to find out that Raph was picking on Don again. "Raph, I _told_ you NOT to hit Don! He's your little brother and you're not a teenager anymore! We're adults, not kids! Act your age! How many times do I have to tell you that before it sinks in?!"

Raph gave Don a murderous glare that basically said 'I'll-get-you-later-for-this!' and stepped towards him with his fist raised. Don backed away looking wary, but then happily squealed more info out to Leo.

"He whacked Mikey on the head a lot of times too, Leo. He beats on us when you're not looking. It would be refreshing if you could get him to stop abusing us..." Don said, turning away and hiding a smile of glee.

'That's what you get for destroying my new wrench set, Raph. Jerk!' Don thought, knowing he would have to be more careful since Raph would surely give him a beating for this later.

Raph struggled hard not to jump his little brother and beat the turtle wax out of him. He couldn't with Leo watching, since he wanted his brothers to be on his side to help him against April's allegations. He grit his teeth as his fists trembled.

"I mean it... Leave him AND Mikey alone! Stop picking on them. If you have a problem, then come to me about it. Got it?" Leo stared down Raph and in a hateful sputter, Raph nodded stiffly.

"Good. Now, go look for Mikey, Raph. You can go by yourself too." Leo said, knowing if he made Don go with him, Raph would beat the crud out of him.

"I'm gone." Raph said viciously and stomped away. Don waved goodbye to him in a jesting manner.

"Donatello! Stop teasing him and learn to fight your own battles. Don't come crying to me if Raph beats up on you. Stand up for yourself and fight back. He'll learn to stop picking on you then. He thinks you are easy to vent his anger on, don't let him do it! Also, we don't tell on each other out of spite. We should only have love for each other. Understand?" Leo asked.

"Aw, man! But it's so hard to be fond of Raph, Leo! He's such a jerk..." Don complained, furrowing his brow.

"Deep down inside, you know you love him and I do too. We have to be strong for him otherwise he will keep acting that way. He just wants to be accepted, like the rest of us. I know it's hard to deal with him sometimes, but he does love us back. Just be patient and understanding, alright?"

"Yeah, ok. Whatever you say, Leo." Don replied, handing him a packet of medicine. "That's the antidote and the pain-killer combined. It should get you to stop hacking up blood and stop some of the pain, of course."

"Only some?" Leo asked, feeling troubled.

"Yeah, because I have to start operating on your leg. Here's a cloth for you to bite into while I do it." Don handed him a heavy rag. Leo took it and sighed.

"It's going to hurt that badly, huh?" Leo asked, knowing that was a stupid question.

"Yep!" Don said cheerfully, a little too cheerfully. He liked to play surgeon, it was fun to fix things whether they be machine or organic.

"Can't you give me something to put me asleep?" Leo asked, needing the answer to be 'yes'.

"Well, I could, but I don't know how well your body will react to what I have for that. Plus, when you wake up, you'll be in a lot more pain than you are now. Up to you. It's either this or waking up to more pain." Don paused and shrugged since Leo was staring at him with an annoyed forlorn look.

"Hey, I'm a turtle, not a super vet. It's the best I can do on short notice." Don said, twirling a long handled scalpel with expertise.

"Alright, get to work then, little brother. I'll do my best to endure the pain..." Leo stuffed the cloth into his mouth and closed his eyes and prepared for the agony that awaited him.

* * *

Not having a clue that Leo was shot and poisoned, Mikey was debating if he should just call Kameko and have her meet him somewhere. He feared she wouldn't like him anymore if she did see him.

But if he never showed himself to her, she might lose interest in him as well. It felt like either way he was doomed. Since he was too busy worrying about 'what-if's', Mikey wasn't watching where he was going and ran into someone.

"Oh man! I am so sorry!" Mikey cried, noticing that not only did he run into someone, he knocked her down. Instinctively he reached down to help her back up.

"It's ok." she said, taking hold of his hand and stood up. Mikey went on apologizing some more and the lady figured out something. That voice sounded familiar!

"Mikey? Is that you?"

Suddenly, Michelangelo realized this was Kameko! He began to back up in terrible fear knowing that she would want to see him right then and there.

"Uh, n-no! I'm Carl..!" Mikey tried to disguise his voice, but failed. Kameko wasn't going to be fooled now. She knew it was him without a doubt.

"Oh, wow, Mikey! I can't believe we ran into each other on the street like that! It totally must be fate or something!" she cried, getting excited. Finally, she could see him face to face instead of hearing him on the phone.

"No, Kameko...- I can't! I-I... I have to be somewhere else right now. Don't worry, I'll call and everythin-" Mikey tripped over some bicycles that were chained to a bike rack.

To his horror, he fell into the light of a street lamp and his hat flew off his head. Kameko gasped loudly, her eyes round and wide. Expecting her to run away screaming, Mikey sighed sadly. But he was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh WOW! Mikey... You're a...a..." Kameko clasped her hands together with glee. "Turtle!" She couldn't believe her luck. The guy she was crazy for was a turtle himself! It was like her wish was granted or something.

"And...you're ok with that?" Mikey asked carefully, unable to believe how good this was going. She untangled his coat from the bikes and picked up his hat.

"Totally! I've always wanted to be a turtle myself, but I can't afford the plastic surgery or anything." she said, taking hold of his hands and loving the look of them, noting the sharpness of his claws.

Mikey instantly felt sad again. She thought he was a regular human with intense plastic surgery done. He decided he might as well tell her now instead of having her find out later and dump him for it. Now was better.

"Kameko, I've got to tell you something..." Mikey began. She linked her arm with his and looked up at him with adoring eyes. "Yes?"

"I, um, well... I've never had plastic surgery done. I really am a turtle. I'm a mutant actually." He paused, afraid to look at her now. He feared her reaction to this info and closed his eyes. "Are you still ok with that?"

"You're not kidding, are you?" Kameko asked slowly, taking this in. This was definitely different, that was for sure. Maybe he was one of those Ninja Turtles her brother Kano Saki was after. She had to find out.

"Not at all."

"Mikey, are you one of the Ninja Turtles I've heard about?" Kameko asked. She thought they had gone into hiding for good.

"Um, yeahh... Why...?"

"Awesome! I've always wanted to meet you guys up close and personal. I'm glad you found me, Mikey..." she said, leaning her head against his arm. No way would she let her brother kill this one. She was too fond of him.

Michelangelo felt an incredible sense of extreme happiness then. Kameko actually was accepting him for what he was without any major problems. Wow!

And she wanted to meet his brothers too! This was super cool and it made Mikey feel like his old playful self again. He took her to his favorite comic book shop in town.

"Ooo! Bugman issue 583!" Kameko cried, snatching it. It was the last one there and Mikey felt a tad sad. He wanted to read that hard to get issue too. Oh well.

Kameko bought the comic and then presented it to Mikey. "Huh?" he asked, bewildered. She smiled and pushed it into his hand. He looked at the rare comic in his hand and then to her.

"I bought it for you, Mikey. I knew how much you wanted it." she said sweetly. Mikey felt his heart swell with much affection. She was so nice!

"We can share it, Kameko. Let's go read it together at Vinny's Pizza." he said happily. Once there, they ate one pizza after another- well Mikey did at least.

"You sure can pack away the pizzas, Mikey." Kameko said, loving him more and more. He was so cute and funny with all those voice impressions he could do.

"Of course! Dude, it's totally easy for me to eat like twenty pizzas in one sitting. Hee hee!" Mikey boasted, then let out a super long burp. "Oops, sorry."

She giggled and moved the ice cubes around in her cup with her straw. "Oh, Mikey, you're so silly!" she gushed, touching his hand as she sat next to him. She felt how cold his green skin was and took his hand in both of her hands.

"Poor Mikey! Your hands are so cold. Didn't you get to bask at all lately?" she asked, rubbing his hand.

"It's ok. My brother Donnie gave us special medicine so we don't need to bask as much as we should. Afterall, it's kinda hard to bask in a smog-choked city, know what I mean?" Mikey said, pleased that she cared for his well-being.

"I still have that special place behind my summer house where I take my turtles often. You should come and enjoy yourself on the nice rocks and sand at my beach." she said, smiling.

"Righteous! I remember you telling me about that place! Awesome! Yeah, I'd love to go there." he said with much joy.

"Bring your brothers too. I love making turtles of any kind happy. You all deserve it." Kameko said, all happy smiles. Mikey hugged her and she hugged him back. It was so cool to hug a turtle this big!

"Well, I dunno if they can go. You know, with the crime in the city and all. Somebody's gotta take care of it. But I'd like to at least spend a day there with you. Alone if that's ok..." Mikey said, his fondness growing stronger every passing moment.

"I'd like that, Mikey. I'd like that a lot." she said softly, feeling like she was on Cloud Nine. It was getting late and Vinny's place was about to close, so they left.

Mikey took her back to her house and before she went inside, she gave him a kiss! It was on the cheek, but that was better than nothing. Happily, Mikey practically flew home on the wings of love.

He couldn't wait to let his brothers know of this new joy in his life. But then again, maybe he should wait until things between Raph and April smoothed over. Either way, Mikey was back and happier than ever!

**To Be Continued in Chapter 2! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Is Kameko truly in love with Mikey or will she betray him to her brother Kano? Who shot Leonardo with the poison dart? It's not who you think!) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	4. Kameko Hires Lotus

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.4

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** Quoth the Raven, thanks for your very helpful review. I added some scenes below between Don and Raph to bring right to what you said looked wrong (which you were correct about). Misunderstandings between brothers is the issue for that one there, I'm glad you noticed the issue right off. I know April was a bit off the wall (even OC as you said), but I plan to have scenes where she regrets her horrible outburst towards Raph in the story soon. Hopefully these scenes will help make the story more enjoyable to read and give the characters the justice they deserve. :)  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

While Raph was looking for Mikey, he caught a glimpse of that slippery 'worm' that eluded him hours before. This time, he wasn't going to let him get away.

Without giving the guy a second to react, he jumped him from behind and got a good joint-lock hold on whoever it was. It was soon apparent that this guy was actually a lady as she struggled to get free.

"Unhand me at once!" she shouted, kicking.

"Look, lady! If you keep fighting me, I'm gonna snap your arm right off. So stay still and tell me why did you poison Leonardo?" Raph asked gruffly, trying to keep the lady from hurting herself since he wasn't going to let go for anything.

"Wretched reptile! Release me! It is I, Lotus!" she cried, kicking up high and aiming well. Raph finally let her go after almost getting kicked in the groin.

Thankfully her heel got his stomach instead. He rubbed his middle and glared at her. What a stupid human! Now what was she up to?

"It's none of your concern why I drugged Leonardo." she finally explained, kicking high again, but for his face. Raph back-flipped away from her and scowled.

"I get real concerned if some nutty mercenary is trying to kill my brother!"

"Foolish Turtle! I have no time to waste with you. I must speak with Leonardo alone. You will bring him here!" she commanded which ticked Raph off even more.

"Yeah, so you can finish him off? I don't think so, sister!" Raph pulled out his sais and took a stance. "Besides, one of your goons already 'blew' off his leg, so he can't come visiting. Got that?"

"No!" Lotus cried, surprised. She hired that thug to shoot Leo to cripple him considerably, not get him _that_ injured. She didn't know it was that bad. She shouldn't have darted him, it was a mistake. She began to worry for him.

"If you wanna see Leo, you gotta go through me first!" Raph snarled, steadying himself for battle. He had to protect Leo and their new Lair from this crazy dame. She had to be the one who wanted them dead!

While Lotus was a supreme master ninja, she knew she was no match for Raphael. She tried to overpower him when he grabbed her moments earlier, but she couldn't do it like she could ten years ago. She was super lucky to escape the first time.

The Turtles seemed to be five to eight times stronger than before. She could never win against a healthy one in battle. Not wanting to get maimed or killed, she flung special stench smoke pellets at Raphael.

The terrible smell from the pellets would hopefully distract Raph long enough for her to get far away and disappear for now. She would strike again when the time was right.

Coughing and gagging from the horrible stench smoke pellets, Raph backed up quickly to get away from the blinding stink cloud. He searched around for Lotus for several minutes, but she was long gone.

Disgusted, Raph turned to go home when suddenly he saw Mikey a short distance away. He saw some girl with really long jet black hair get close to his face to kiss his cheek and his brother began to do a dance of joy for her.

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. A girl gives Mikey a kiss and he reacts like a silly loon from it? Doesn't he have any shame? He watched Mikey skip off his merry way towards home and sighed, shaking his head.

'Dumb kid. Doesn't he realize by now that humans were actually dirty back-stabbing scumbags? Why would he want to be with any of them? Stupid, stupid, stupid!' he thought.

Raph decided against going home for a while on purpose. Sure, Leo would worry like a mother hen and get ticked off, but he already was in a rotten mood since he was shot and poisoned.

The longer he stayed away, the better. Raph wasn't in any hurry to get home so Leo could yell at him. He couldn't believe that Leo would scold him in front of Donnie like he was some little kid.

Donatello. Man, Raph couldn't WAIT to beat the ever-living shell out of his younger brother for telling on him. He would start by wringing that skinny little neck of his while giving his stomach a good slamming with his right knee.

Yep, he couldn't wait to hear Don squeak for mercy. Only this time, Raph wouldn't be giving him any...

'Jeez, what the h-ll is Don's problem anyway? To get that bent out of shape over some d-mned wrench set? What a hatchling! I can't believe he'd stoop to Mikey's level. Ugh!' Raph thought, shaking his head.

He didn't know why Don took such a left turn with him lately. Was that stupid wrench set more important than his own brother? Raph was really hurt by that and from the way Don was acting, that seemed to be it.

Suddenly, Raph saw Lotus, of all people, heading for the same house Mikey's new girlfriend went in. Lotus knocked on the door and that girl with the jet black hair opened the door.

Raph grit his teeth in disgust. So! Lotus and that girl, whoever she was, were pals, eh? Turtle-killing pals no doubt. Lotus wants Leo dead and now this jet black haired girl probably was being hired by Lotus to get Mikey.

"Why those dirty low down females! _Ohh!_ **Grrrgh!!!**" Raph snarled to himself, clenching his teeth and fists. "Well, I sure ain't gonna let Mikey get butchered by that dirty hussy! D-mn that Lotus! _D-mn her_!"

Raph stealthily went down to Kameko's house and began to do some serious ninja eavesdropping. The ladies talked about everyday human life garbage for two straight hours that Raph was beginning to fall asleep from it.

Jolting awake from their revolting girly giggling, Raph left quickly. He wasted enough time there and he didn't want Leo to slice his head off for staying away too long. Screaming and nagging was better than a full on assault from his older brother.

Then about three minutes after Raph was gone, the women suddenly lowered their voices and closed the curtains to all the windows in the room.

"So, did you cripple the leader as my brother instructed?" Kameko asked.

"Yes, but it was too much. Your brother never told me that his low-level mercenary was going to use such a high powered gun. The fool couldn't handle it properly and Leonardo was nearly killed. I don't want that to happen! He's mine to take!" Lotus said angrily.

"I darted him, thinking it would be enough, but it nearly destroyed him. I don't want to kill him like that! I want to defeat him in battle and keep his head as a trophy." Lotus took a sip of tea before going on.

"By ninja code, if one is defeated, then he must give up his life. I can not defeat him unless he's weakened. I fear to challenge him at full strength, I would be killed myself and there's no profit in my own death." Lotus continued.

Kameko could tell Lotus' harsh words were a cover up for something else. But what? She wanted to dig.

"My brother is paying you a lot of gold to let _him_ destroy the Turtles. You have no say in how my brother handles things. Same as me, I can not complain that my brother wants my favorite creatures murdered." Kameko feared her older brother well, so she allowed him to hunt the Turtles.

But now she had a problem. Mikey was one of the Turtles and she doubted her brother would spare him. She would have to hide Mikey at a new location. A place no one knew about, not even her brother or his goons.

And not even her adopted sister Karai. But Kameko had to be careful. Karai was super skilled and the best ninja she had ever seen. But ever since Kano and Karai had a big falling out months ago, Kameko hadn't seen her since.

When her brother couldn't use Karai to destroy the Turtles, he went to find the next best killer. After some searching, Lotus appeared, hungry for money and ready to go to work.

Kameko knew Karai left because Kano was trying to force her to go against her code of honor by getting rid of the Turtles. She was so happy Karai didn't want to harm the Turtles, she was like an angel to her.

Kameko saw Karai as a big sister, a real sister- the sister she never had. Her brother Kano was an unfeeling monster, just like their father. She had more affection for Karai than her own real brother because of this.

"Why do you want to defeat this Leonardo anyway? Do you...do you have a past with him?" Kameko asked, getting interested. She already knew how much Mikey loved his brothers and she doubted he would be willing to hide by himself from Kano.

Maybe Lotus would help her in hiding the Turtles with her...?

"Yes and no." Lotus said, bitterly. She had tried to go on with her life without Leo, but every other man she met were disappointments. None of them came close to having the swordsmanship skill Leo possessed.

Lotus wanted a man who could give her a challenge in battle and be an equal to her. But now Leo was a better swordsman than Lotus and she hated to lose any man or beast. She had been the best until Leo came along...

Lotus did know of Karai, but she did not care if she was better at being a ninja. Lotus only wanted to be either better or equal to a male fighter. Lotus didn't mind being less skilled than Karai. She wasn't her target. Leo was.

She wanted to beat him so badly in battle, she would take his life to get it if that's what it took to win. Yet, she wanted to be close to him. He was a fellow swordman and...a friend.

"Huh? Like what do you mean?" Kameko asked, confused.

"Leonardo and I have some history together, but it is of no matter. He is a Turtle and I am not. We can not be together as a real couple, but we can at least be partners for hire. We could have been friends..." Lotus said with some sorrow in her voice, hinting her true feelings for a moment.

"You care about him, don't you?" Kameko asked, absorbing this info. "Do you...love him?"

"Absolutely not!" Lotus shot back angrily, not liking to have her real feelings spoken out loud.

Holding a candle for Leo was one of the most shameful things she couldn't stop doing. It embarrassed her to be in love with a mutant that probably didn't care for her anymore anyway.

"Nun-uh! I can tell, heheee! I can totally tell you have the hots for him by how fast you tried to deny it! Oh man, this is great!" Kameko said happily, knowing she could get Lotus to help her in hiding the Turtles from Kano.

Then she could live out a crazy dream she had ever since she learned Mikey was a Ninja Turtle. She would keep them at her secret location and be surrounded by turtles big and small forever! Super Turtle Heaven!

"I carry no feelings for him, Kameko! I will kill him tonight if I must prove this!" Lotus cried, trembling with sudden rage. How dare this young girl tease her like this?

"Alright, go ahead and do it." Kameko said, waiting with a smile. Lotus did not budge from her seat and looked away with shame.

"It's alright to love him, Lotus. I happen to have a thing for his brother, Michelangelo." Kameko admitted with glee.

"Your brother Kano will kill you if he finds this out..." Lotus said, frowning.

"He won't and you won't tell him either. I can pay you a lot more gold than my brother will, IF you work for me instead. Help me hide the Turtles and you'll never have a gold shortage."

Kameko showed her a bag of rare gold dust, the purest type that was so hard to find, people killed their own loved ones to get it. Lotus took it and squeezed her hand around the bag.

"Agreed."

* * *

Leo was in a super viciously cranky mood when Raph finally came home. Don and Mikey went to watch TV and turned it up all the way to block out the screaming.

"I **_TOLD_** you to find Mikey! Not screw around for two and half hours! Where the h-ll have you been, Raph?!" Leo shouted, gritting and baring his teeth. Don had finished operating on his leg and put metal supports in to help him heal three times faster than normal.

It naturally hurt worse than a circus of snapping turtles biting your tail, so Leo was frightening force to reckon with then. Raph scoffed at his older brother. He had no clue that Lotus was out to kill him. What a dummy!

"Where have **_I_** been? **_I_** was out seeing Mikey getting kissed by some wacko dame that's working for your new hired killer, loud-mouth!"

"What are you talking about?" Leo scowled, holding his head as another migraine hit hard. "Mikey doesn't have any girlfriend, Raph. Be serious."

"I _am_ serious, you moron! Mikey's being duped by this sh-tty little hussy with long black hair." Raph shot back. Due to the blaring TV, Mikey didn't hear that insult about Kameko.

"Uggh! Stop making up lies to cover your shell!" Leo groaned, laying his head back on the couch.

"**I AM ****_NOT_**** LYING!**" Raph screamed, punching the couch near where Leo had his head resting. He glared at him for a moment, then held an ice pack to his forehead.

"Yeah right..." Leo mumbled, trying to will away the pain as he had been ever since he was shot.

It wasn't easy and even harder with Raph raising his stress levels. Leo just didn't care to pay attention to what Raph was trying to tell him due to his pain. And that made Raph super angry.

"Oh, just f-ck it then, you idiot! You don't want to believe me, then just f-ck it, **OK**?!" Raph yelled, kicking the couch this time hard enough to jostle Leo a bit, sending shooting pain throughout his leg.

"**Arr-uughh!!** **_RAPH!!_**" Leo whacked him in the arm with the hard ice pack. Raph grabbed it and flung it across the room. Leo looked to where the ice pack exploded as it hit the wall and back to his little brother.

"Ok, that is **IT**! Go to your room and stay there until you calm down! **NOW!**" Leo ordered, pointing to the higher levels of the subway station they lived in.

Raph grabbed onto Leo's left forearm in a threatening manner with his right claw. Leo latched onto Raph's right arm and a stand-off ensued.

"...You ain't my daddy, Leo..." Raph said testily, getting face to face with his brother.

Baring their teeth and growling, the brothers glared meanly. Raph forced himself to back down since Leo was injured and he still wanted him to be on his side against April.

After a few short moments of glaring and growling, Raph roughly released Leo and went to his room. Leo watched him go with angry tears in his eyes that he blinked back furiously.

'Why do you always have to be like that, Raph? Why?' Leo thought, swiping the wetness from his eyes. He didn't know how much more of this madness he could take in this condition.

Don and Mikey were great at knowing when a fight was over between their older brothers when there was no more screaming background noise.

They turned the TV down a little and Don went to help Leo when he heard him asking for another ice pack. Eager to please his eldest brother, Don hurried over to the living room area.

"So, how did it go?" Don asked, playfully. He hoped to raise his spirits some.

"Hell as usual."

"Looks more like an ice storm."

"Yeah, well, Raph threw it and I need a new one. Hurry up." Leo said, struggling not to snap at Don. He wasn't in the mood to be nice or take any more crap from anybody.

"Here, Leo." Don said seriously, handing him a new ice pack. Leo tried to smile, but it faded fast as he leaned back so he could sleep.

"Alright. Thanks. I want you and Mikey to get to bed. Raph said he saw the person who tried to kill me. We have to find out who that is as soon as possible." Leo decided not to say anything about what Raph told him of Mikey's girlfriend. He wasn't up for dealing with it now.

Mikey didn't say anything about having a girlfriend when he came home and right now, Leo didn't care. He had to rest and heal so he could lead his family through this new problematic mystery.

"Dude, can't I watch the end of this movie before I go to bed?" Mikey asked, begging. Leo sighed tiredly and nodded. Mikey happily went back to the TV as Don went upstairs. He had to do something before he went to bed.

* * *

While up in his room, Raph was thinking many hateful thoughts when Don knocked at his door. "Can I come in?" Don asked, wanting to make amends with his older brother.

He had been wrong to tease him before and complain to Leo about a few whacks here and there from Raph. It was really silly for him to hold such a grudge over a wrench set anyway.

He had to forget about that dumb tool set and care about more important things. Such as his brother and to help him clear his name somehow.

Although fights between Leo and Raph were inevitable often, Don didn't want to help them fight more by making Raph more ticked off. He hated to see those two fight and Don was sure Raph needed support, not spite from him.

"Sure, come right on in, Donnie..." Raph answered, getting ready to teach him a lesson.

Don knew that Raph wanted to kick his shell and that was why he was letting him in his room. Normally, he never was allowed in, no matter what. He had to apologize fast.

Anticipating that Raph would directly attack head on, Don evaded to the left. Crashing into the door made Raph even more angry, thinking Don was trying to make a fool out of him again.

"You are _so_ dead!" he growled, getting to his feet.

"No, wait!" Don cried, blocking Raph's series of punches and high kicks. "I came to say I was sorry!"

"Sorry? Oh, that's rich, Don! Come up with another, I enjoy being ticked off! Jeez! I can't believe you'd get your tail so bent out of shape over some crappy wrench set to get me into trouble with Leo! Don't think I forgot about that!"

"Raph, come on! I mean it! I'm sorry!" Don shouted, grabbing his brother's wrists and holding them down.

"I...I'm really sorry... I shouldn't have told on you to Leo. That was so ridiculously childish of me. I apologize for making such an idiotic fuss over the wrench set like some hatchling." Don said.

When silence followed, he hurried on thinking Raph was still angry with him. "I should have told you right off that I don't like you hitting me or Mikey." Don added. Finally, Raph spoke.

"Hey, I'm not knocking you and Mikey around because I want to be mean to you guys. I'm trying to toughen you boys up. I can tell you're both getting soft in the shell. You need roughing up. I don't want you to become sissies." Raph explained, stifling his misguided anger.

He thought Don was purposely trying to get under his skin again for that dumb wrench set. But if Donnie truly wanted to make amends, then he would give him that chance.

He wasn't without some heart. Besides, he could at least get Don to listen about how Mikey's new girlfriend was partners with Lotus. He needed someone to listen since it was so important.

Leo wasn't going to now and Mikey, well, he'd probably be stupid and side with his new girlfriend. Raph realized he only had Don left to count on currently.

They had to fix this new problem immediately, not weeks later when Leo would finally open his ears to listen. By that time, they would probably be all dead.

"Donnie, I can tell that you're slipping lately. I mean, you really can kick shell, but now you're kinda slacking off. Leo's going way too soft on you and Mikey." Raph said, popping open a beer and downing it one go.

"I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, but it sure looks like it to me. I want to make sure you guys don't get creamed out there. That's why I was trashing you guys when I could, to give you some motivation to get you back to your real level of skill." Raph said, crushing the can into nothing.

"Jeez, **_THAT'S_** why you were beating up on us?" Don said, sitting down on a foot stool to ponder this. Was he and Mikey losing their warrior touch through these longer-than-norm times of peace?

It was possible since Don had been thinking with a more civilian mind than that of a warrior lately. Ninja skill was a terrible thing to waste or lose, so Raph was actually helping in his strange unusual way.

Don could live with that, now that he understood his brother again. All their relationships were becoming out of tune lately and thrown off track when April went crazy on them.

"Well... You had the best intentions in mind, so alright then. I just didn't understand before."

"Good. And... I'm sorry too. I should have told you straight that I was trying to whip you two back into shape, but I thought I didn't need to." Raph said, shrugging.

"We should talk more openly to each other, Raph. Then we won't misunderstand each other. I just want you to know that we all love you no matter what." Don said sincerely, standing up.

"Right back at ya, little bro." Raph said smiling, putting a hand on Don's shoulder.

He was forgiven and gave Don a fast hug, which renewed Don's fondness for him. Hugs from Raph were beyond rare and Don felt honored to get one. So, Raph wasn't that unfeeling bully of an older brother that Don was worried that Raph might have turned into.

He was training Don and Mikey in his own weird way, which was supposed to be tough love. Don was glad he got to be closer to his brother again.

Don was about to leave so he could go to sleep when Raph made him stay so he could tell him what he saw above earlier. They sat on the floor and Don listened carefully to what his older brother had to say.

"Mikey's got a girlfriend? He didn't say anything to me or Leo about it." Don said, confused. The girl kissed him too? Sheesh, Mikey wouldn't keep something like that a secret, no way. That wasn't like him.

"I dunno why he kept his beak shut. But I do know that we've got to keep Mikey away from that dame at all costs. Mikey might bring her to our Lair and then Lotus will find us too. Then, bye bye Turtles." Raph said.

"I'll search the web for more on this lady. What's her name?" Don asked.

"How should I know? Mikey's never said a word about her, I don't know her stinkin' name! All I know is that she lives in the wealthy part of downtown. Her house is about two blocks away from that Vinny's Pizza."

"Ok, I'll go search for that address and see who lives there. In the meantime, I think we should tell Mikey everything and let him down gently." Don said, feeling bad for his little brother.

"Yeah, there's no way in Hades I'm gonna let my bro get himself messed up with a dirty assassin like that. We better go tell him now before he runs off in the morning."

"I think he's still awake, I can still hear the TV going, that movie hasn't finished yet." Don said and both brothers headed downstairs.

Leo was leaning back on the couch with his eyes shut. A miserable disgusted look was on his face since he couldn't sleep due to the pain.

"What are you two doing up? Don, didn't I tell you to go to bed? I want all of us ready to go early in the morning to find that assassin." Leo said in an angry tired voice.

"Yeah, well that assassin of yours is Lotus." Raph said, hoping to get through to him.

"What?!" Leo cried, opening his eyes and staring.

"Yeah, you heard me right, fearless leader. Lotus. That sh-tty little b-tch that you like so much." Raph added rudely.

"I _don't_ like her, Raph." Leo said testily even though he was intrigued. Lotus? Back after all this time? Why did she want to kill him?

"Sure you do! She's the only other dame you can go after other than Karai." Raph replied. Why did all these crazy ninja dames have to go after his brother? He wasn't THAT great.

Of course, Raph wouldn't admit that he was jealous that his older brother was so sought after by the ladies. But now after April's terrible accusations of him, Raph wasn't so fond of humans as he used to be and he was pretty sick of women currently.

"Karai and I are only friends. Nothing else." Leo said, gritting his teeth. Sure he liked Karai alright. Her sense of honor was something to be admired, but Leo never really thought of getting together with her. Like he had said, they were just friends.

"Yeah, ok. Whatever." Raph said, hiding his jealousy and going back to the important issue at hand. Informing Mikey of the dangers with his new girlfriend.

The brothers went left Leo to get to the next room and found Mikey dozing in front of the TV. Don turned it off and the lack of background noise woke Mikey up.

"Huh? Wha- what happened to the TV, dude?" Mikey asked, yawning. "Turn it back on, I was watching it. The sludge-beast was about to eat this entire city in one gulp."

"Mikey, listen. Raph and I have to tell you something really important..." Don began, but Raph didn't waste time getting to the point.

"Who is the dame that was kissin' you at that yellow and blue house downtown? Spill, Mikey!" Raph demanded.

"Raph!" Don cried, but he ignored him. They couldn't play around here. Mikey would get killed if he hung out with that crazy dame. Raph just knew it.

"Whoa, were you guys like spying on me? Can't a guy have any privacy when he goes out?" Mikey cried, getting annoyed. Sheesh! He wanted to surprise them by showing Kameko to them the next day. He didn't like being spied on, not at all.

"Look, I wasn't spying on you, Mikey!" Raph spat, not caring about the little details. "I just saw you after I was chasing Lotus. After you left, she went to your girlfriend's house and she let Lotus in! Lotus is trying to kill Leo and I can tell she's out to kill you too! Then next, me and Don! So, tell me her name so Don can get the 411 on their operations, NOW!"

Mikey was shocked to hear this. Kameko...working with Lotus? No it couldn't be true! It just couldn't be! His once in a lifetime chance to be happy with a turtle loving girl seemed to be just a fairytale.

He refused to believe Kameko was working with Lotus just so they could kill him and his brothers. Even if she was working with Lotus, Kameko couldn't be planning on destroying him. She loved turtles!

She accepted Mikey for who and what he was, she wanted to be a turtle too! He couldn't accept that Kameko was a bad guy. No way!

"Kameko would never kill me! She totally digs me, Raph! I don't care if she's working with Lotus, she can't be evil!" Mikey cried, furrowing his brow. "I don't care what you say about her, she's not bad! She loves me and I love her!"

"You can't see her anymore, Mikey! She wants all of us dead! You too!" Don cried, worried that this would happen. Mikey wasn't listening and going on this Kameko's side.

"Yeah, so forget about her and get ready for tomorrow. We're going to her house to stop this bullsh-t once and for all." Raph said pointing a finger in Mikey's face. He slapped it away and pointed his own finger in Raph's face.

"I'm still going to see her and I won't have you dudes going over there to attack her! I won't have it!" Mikey shouted, breathing hard. He couldn't give up Kameko, he couldn't!

"You better not warn her, Mikey! Lotus will find out and escape again! So keep your d-mn beak shut!" Raph shot back, whacking his little brother's finger out of his face.

"If you guys hurt Kameko, I'll go totally postal on you! I mean it! She's NOT bad! I know her, she won't hurt any of us! Just talk to her, you'll see how wonderful she is! You'll KNOW she's not evil!" Mikey cried, fists trembling.

Leo hobbled over on crutches and put a hand on Mikey's heaving shoulders. "Calm down, Mikey. I will talk to this Kameko with you as soon as I can walk again and when that time comes, you two-" Leo looked at Raph and Don.

"-will be outside waiting nearby. Don't be seen or heard. If Lotus appears or attacks, stop her. I will see if Kameko is indeed the person Mikey says she is or not." Leo said, then looked back to Mikey.

"If she is not the person you believe her to be, then you must forget about her. Understand, Mikey?"

"I won't need to forget about her. I know how she really is. Can't we just go now?" Mikey snapped, crossing his arms.

He was too annoyed to sleep. He wanted, no, needed his bros to find out how decent Kameko was. He couldn't stand this injustice against her much longer.

"An ambush attack! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Raph said happily.

"No! We'll go after I've healed first. Gather your strength in the meantime and be ready, we might need it." Leo said.

"No we won't. Kameko's not bad..." Mikey added before storming off to his room.

"What an idiot!" Raph scowled, rolling his eyes. "I sure like to see him say that when he's being stabbed in the shell."

"Enough of that. Go to bed and we'll talk about this more later." Leo said, going back to the couch. Don helped and gave him some more medicine.

"It should help you sleep at least. Night, Leo." Don said, padding his brother's shoulder.

"Thanks, Don." Leo swallowed the bitter powder and prayed that he wasn't walking into a trap by going to Kameko's house. If Lotus really wanted him dead, then he had better be ready.

'Well, if she wants to kill me, then fine. She'll be sorry she decided to stay on the dark side...' Leo thought, finally feeling that relieving sense of peace that came with sleep. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 5! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Will the Turtles be walking into a trap at Kameko's home? Will Kameko betray Mikey's love?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	5. Kameko's Secret Turtle Beach

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.5

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** 'Justaperson', thanks for your input. It's true no one really knows how they'll react once their child gets violated, it's hard to know what to think of such should it really happen. I must point out though that you have misunderstood my censorship for the swearing in the story. I know exactly what I'm doing for that and I always censor swearing since I do not care for such. But the characters in the story do use such language and I keep it in for those reasons. I will continue to censor the swearing as that is how I do things. But it is good you have said something about it. I've pointed out my methods above so others do not misunderstand me in being 'indecisive'. Thank you again for your review and I hope you continue to read the story. :)  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

After healing for weeks, Leo prepared his brothers for their trip to Kameko's house. It had been madness while he was healing since Raph and Don kept stopping Mikey from seeing Kameko.

Leo allowed him to write e-mails to her, but made sure he was too tired to by over training Mikey on purpose. Not really figuring out that part, Mikey just kept training as he was told to and was distracted by odd gifts he usually didn't get from his brothers.

At last, Leo was able to walk again. Though his leg wasn't one hundred percent better, Leo knew he couldn't stand distracting Mikey any longer with special gifts or training him to death. It just felt dishonest, even if it was for his little brother's own good.

When night came, Leo allowed Mikey to call Kameko to see if she was home and alone. Mikey told Kameko to talk fairly sophisticated since first impressions were important and he wanted his brothers to like her, especially Leo.

Should Kameko say she's alone and then have Lotus attack them, Leo will know that Kameko is bad. But he would give her a chance first despite to Raph's protests.

"Why should we let you go in there to get killed? You're finally healed and now you're going back to get shot again? This is stupid! The dame's a snake and that's it!" Raph cried, brooding in the backseat of a fuel efficient car they had lately. The Turtle van would be too much of a warning flag to Lotus, if she was there.

"Be quiet, Raph. I want to talk to her and find more about her. That's all." Leo said, believing everyone deserved at least one chance. Even two.

"Hmph! She's working with Lotus and there's nothing good about that!"

"She's NOT evil, ok! Stop picking on her!" Mikey shouted as he drove to Kameko's house. "She wants to see all of us because she loves turtles! That alone proves she's good!"

"She loves to kill turtles you mean..." Raph grumbled.

"Stop fighting you two! I have to keep a calm level mind here if I'm to sense her out right. So be quiet and be ready as I told you to be while I'm talking to her. If we're attacked, then we'll know the truth about this Kameko." Leo said.

Mikey scowled as he kept his eyes on the road. 'They'll see that Kameko's a wonderful person. She's not evil!'

He stopped the car a block away to let Raph and Don out. They raced off to stake out Kameko's house and be ready to defend Leo if anything happened.

Mikey immediately began to convince Leo that Kameko was good and decent as soon as Raph and Don were gone. Leo listened with an open mind and heart.

Naturally, all the Turtles were in disguise, covered head to toe with clothing and hats. Mikey parked the car in Kameko's driveway and helped Leo to the door.

Kameko seemed to be waiting for them and opened it after only one short push of her doorbell. Raph was watching from the same rooftop he had been on when he first saw Mikey there.

"Ok, they're going in. We can get closer now." Raph said, getting to the fire escape and going back to the street fast.

Don followed quickly, testing himself on speed and ninja skill. Raph noticed the improvement and was proud. He had been sparring with Don for weeks straight and got him back into shape.

Leo had been working Mikey hard too and Raph did see his other baby brother fighting like how he could. He needed his brothers to be in top form so they could kick Lotus' butt for good.

He inspected the area and found out where Leo and Mikey were inside. They stealthily positioned themselves outside the window where they could see inside, but not be seen.

"Ok, Donnie. This is it. They are in the living room now. When that crazy dame springs the trap, we'll crash through this here window and get the jump them. Got that?" Raph asked. Don nodded and let out a soft whistle.

"Wow, no wonder Mikey loves that lady! She's pretty." Don said, trying to get a better view without being seen.

"Quit admiring the b-tch and be ready for anything!" Raph hissed, punching his shoulder. Don gave him a look, but sucked up the pain.

"Ok, ok. Sheesh." Don said and watched carefully for anything funny going on around or behind Leo and Mikey. So far, so good.

* * *

As Lotus waited in a nearby room, she listened to Kameko explain to Mikey and Leo how she wanted to hide them from her brother. But she did not tell them who her brother was or anything, just that he was the one who really wanted them dead.

"How do I know you're not setting us up to be killed at your so-called 'safe haven'?" Leo asked, being diplomatic and careful. Mikey gave him a pleading look.

He believed Kameko of course and wanted to go to this fantastic forestry beach. Having a radical vacation to get away from some nutso who wanted you dead was always good thing to him.

"Leonardo, I give you my word that won't happen! I want to keep you Turtles alive because I care for your brother. And I have a deep respect for your kind. I've always loved turtles. Can't you tell?" Kameko said, waving her arm across the room.

It was clear to see that Kameko's entire house was a major turtle shrine. The walls were covered with artwork of turtles of all species and sculptures of turtles were either sitting, standing, or hanging everywhere.

Real turtles were in large aquariums and Kameko was even holding a rabbit-sized turtle in her arms. She let it loose on the table they were sitting at and it crawled around.

"Well, alright." Leo replied, then everyone's focus was on the turtle chewing on the tablecloth.

"Tulip, that's Leonardo and Michelangelo. Be a good girl and say hello to them." Kameko said, smiling. Leo looked down at his kin and noticed how 'mindless' the female turtle behaved.

She just wandered around aimlessly on the table and the only sign of intelligence was that she did bite at a stack of napkins in her way. Leo felt sad and sorry for the female turtle. If he wasn't mutated like he was, he would be just as mindless as poor Tulip.

If he was still a regular turtle, he wouldn't know what he was missing out on being part human. He probably would have mated with countless females and lived his life out as a parent of many children he would never known or cared about.

Just living as a 'mindless' dumb animal for years on end with no future of any kind. Never to know right from wrong or to learn how to fight or read or do anything important!

Leo was glad he was a mutant then. He had a more meaningful existence and he valued that highly. It just made him feel bad for the other turtles who would live out their lives never knowing the pleasures of being part of a higher species.

Mikey picked Tulip up and petted her shell. Tulip nipped at his mask and then his snout. He laughed.

"Naughty Tulip! Don't bite the mask!" Mikey laughed, then rubbed his cheek against Tulip's face.

"You are such a pretty girl, aren't you? Aren't you? Yesh, you are! Hahaa!" he cooed.

"She likes me!" he said happily as Kameko came around the table to get Tulip. "She's very friendly, yes. Leo would you like to hold her?"

"I would, but I don't want to disrespect my kind by acting _so_ human..." Leo said, giving Mikey a look. He did not like how Mikey was 'talking down' to Tulip like she was some dumb animal.

Ok, so she was, but still. Leo didn't like to think that his species was a lower race of animals and not as smart as the so-called higher species, mammals.

Times he had walked down the street in disguise, he had seen pet shops full of different animals year round and it didn't take him long to see which ones were acting less 'robotic' and seemingly mindless.

Anything remotely reptilian was considered 'not as intelligent' as other creatures like mammals. Even birds were considered somewhat more smarter.

Only fish and insects were lower than reptiles, but the mammals were at the top. Although he had a friend who was an alien rabbit samurai, his Earth kin showed less robotic behavior.

It bothered him to think that rabbits were better than turtles in speed and the brain department. Cartoons were made insulting Leo's kind for being basically dumb and slow.

Now seeing Mikey being weird and disrespectful like that to Tulip, UGH! Leo narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

He hated to think that some human might have done that stupid cooing at him when he was a baby turtle in a bowl with his brothers. Sickening!

"What do you mean, bro?" Mikey asked, confused to death.

"Never mind." Leo said disgustedly under his breath and then cleared his throat.

"Are you certain your brother Kano can't find us at this place?" Leo asked, slowly giving in to going to this secret place. Mikey forgot his confusion and became ecstatic. Leo was understanding now that Kameko was a good person. Yay!

"Don't worry. I have my ways. I have people working for me everywhere, even some of my brother's lackeys are loyal to me. You have nothing to fear." Kameko took a long drink from her tea cup.

"Please say you'll accept my offer to stay at my safe haven for turtles. Once my brother is gone, you can return home. I respect your choice whatever it may be." she said, putting Tulip back in her aquarium. She then went to unlock her window.

"But please give me your answer as soon as possible. My brother's assassins are hunting you even now. You are not safe while you stay in this city so I advise you spend the night here to think it over." she said, going to a sink that was built in the living room so she could tend to her turtles without needing to leave the room.

"My brother never comes to my home since it's turtle-themed so you don't have to worry about him. But if his spies see you coming in and out of here often, he might attack anyway. So please stay and decide soon." she said, washing her hands.

"And, would you please tell your brothers to stop hiding outside my window? They can come in and relax here. I want you all to feel comfortable and happy. Every turtle deserves to live in enjoyment, may I invite them in?" Kameko asked.

"No need, Lady. We heard you."

Kameko smiled as she saw Raph and Don coming in. "Don't be wary of me, Raphael. I am not your enemy." she said sweetly. She felt so honored to be in the presence of all four of the Ninja Turtles.

What beautiful creatures they were! But of course, Mikey was the most beautiful of all. She hoped she could live with them for the rest of her days. She even was considering to will all her assets to them when she died.

"Don't be cute, Lady! Where's she hiding?" Raph asked, sniffing to find Lotus. He had her human stench memorized. Kameko sighed.

"Leonardo has already told me of your concerns with her. She is not a threat any longer. She was working for my brother, but now she's going to help me save you magnificent creatures from extinction." Kameko said, not hiding any info which Leo noticed.

If she was bad, why would she explain everything like that. She did seem genuine and on the up and up. If she had wanted to kill them, they would be at least attacked by now.

"She's here, isn't she?!" Raph growled, sniffing more and went to the back room where Lotus had been hiding until Raph came in. He flung open the door and saw that it was empty.

"She was here, I can tell..." Raph scowled. "Ok, Lady, you better prove to me real fast that Lotus isn't out to kill Leo or you're going to have one ticked off Turtle kicking your butt in about two seconds!"

"Leave her alone, Raph! She's not our enemy!" Leo shouted, embarrassed by how rude Raph always was. "I know you're only trying to protect me, but this behavior is unnecessary!"

Leo looked to Kameko and nodded at her, sighing. "We accept your offer and go to this place you spoke of." he said, making Raph sputter in shocked disgust.

"Leo! Are you NUTS? Do you want our throats slit while we sleep? This dame's brother is out to kill us! She'll tell him where we're hiding! Hello?! We're being set up here!" Raph shouted, stamping his foot.

"Shut up, Raph! Kameko will never do that to us! She's totally good, why won't you give her a chance?! WHY?!" Mikey shouted back. Raph narrowed his eyes and frowned. 'Give her a chance? Alright, if that's what you want, Mikey...'

"OK! Fine. I will. But I'll be watching this dame AND Lotus during this little vacation. If anything goes wrong, it'll be all your fault, Mikey. Got that?" Raph said, giving in only this once.

He believed that as soon as this Kameko tried anything at this secret beach place, Mikey will learn the hard way not to trust her for good. A real betrayal should convince him to stay away from this crazy dame more so than anything Raph could scream at him.

Don was inspecting all Kameko's turtle art and sculptures with interest, that he tuned out all the talking and yelling. Everything was so turtle-themed, it made Don feel like a worshipped creature. It was a nice feeling.

"Fascinating!" he breathed, impressed by all the wonderful turtleness everywhere. "You have a nice shrine here, ma'am."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it, Donatello." she said with a friendly smile. It was something Raph was beginning to grow sick of seeing. He knew this lady had to be evil, he wouldn't trust her for anything.

"We will leave at once in my private jet. You don't need to bring anything with you as I have all that you'll ever need there. Please follow me." Kameko said, pulling Mikey out of his seat and linking arms with him.

Raph followed, scowling all the way to the jet and all the way to the secret location. He scowled as they were shown their new room and left alone to settle in.

Tired from the long trip, they pretty much fell asleep instantly. The next morning, they awoke to plenty of sunlight shining down on them through a huge colored glass skylight in the ceiling. It was in the shape of a turtle of course.

Like on cue, Kameko was there giving them fresh hot pizza to devour. She gave Leo a large box of something, which he opened to see many new candles and a lighter, plus a key.

"What's this for?" he asked, holding the key up. It was shaped like a turtle too.

"That's for the Silence Room. Mikey told me how you like to meditate. Spirituality is very important and it's where I go to reflect. You can use it now." she said, smiling. He gave her a pleased nod.

This was great! He loved candles to use while meditating. Next, Kameko handed Don a new book and the key to her massive library. It was easy to tell he was delighted.

Kameko dangled a set of keys in front of Raphael which he turned his nose up at. Leo made Raph accept them and he finally asked what they were for.

"Mikey told me you like motorcycles, so I'm giving you one. I hope you like it." she said sweetly. Raph frowned and slammed them back into her hand.

"You're not bribing me, Lady. You can take your motorcycle and stick it up your-" Raph tried to say, but Leo whacked his arm. He hastily took the keys from Kameko and put them back into Raph's hand forcefully.

"He says thanks. Don't you, Raph?" Leo said meanly, giving him the Look. Raph scowled and turned his back, but not before he chucked the keys at the nearest wall.

"Dude, don't be such grade A jerk! Kameko's trying to be nice to your sorry shell!" Mikey growled, frowning too. Raph ignored him, scoffing. Kameko sighed and strived to try harder to win Raph over.

"It's alright, Mikey. Raph doesn't trust me, but he will." Kameko said, then told them of a nice place where they could bask and swim near a waterfall.

Before she left, she gave Mikey a morning kiss on the snout and hug. He hugged her back happily, nuzzling. Raph found that scene to be so nauseating that he couldn't barely stand it.

"She is so fake!" Raph shouted when they were by themselves again. Don had been convinced that Kameko was ok and thought Raph's outburst unwarranted. She gave him a library of science books to chew on, not to mention plenty of pizza.

"How so?" Don asked, confused. "She has been really nice to all of us. How's that fake?"

"Like, totally ignore him. He's just mad that he was wrong about Kameko." Mikey said, pleased that Leo and Don were on his side now.

"Mikey, you're an idiot! She's setting us up to be butchered! She's got Lotus waiting out there to cut our necks open any second!" Raph complained.

"Raph, you said you'd give her a chance. So shut up and do it! If anything goes wrong, then it's my fault, alright?" Leo said, frowning. Raph glared until Mikey diverted everyone's attention to something else.

"Dude! Look at this little guy!" Mikey cried, pointing at an aquarium full of turtles that Kameko brought along. It was one of many she brought since she took all her turtles with her to this place.

"He's like totally courting this girl! Hey, why's she biting him like that? They're fighting! Why?" Mikey asked, confused.

"Uh, Mikey? That's another male." Don said, peeking from his new book Kameko gave him.

"Ack! They're those types of dudes, aren't they?!" Mikey cried in fright.

"No, no. That male was trying to dominate the other male and now he's kicking his butt." Don explained and got lost in his book again.

"Yeah, I sure know that feeling." Raph said irritably and growled, shaking his head as he headed for the door.

"Raph, where are you going?" Leo asked in a voice that told Raph that he wasn't allowing him to leave.

"I'm going for a swim. Might as well check out this place since it's so d-mn safe. Is that ok with you, Mr. Boss-of-Me?" Raph said meanly.

"Dude! A swim! We should all go for a swim! Can we? Please, Leo! It's totally cool here! Nothing bad will happen!" Mikey cried, swirling his fingers in the aquarium's water.

Some turtles swam up to bite him. "Ow! Stop that! I'm your bud!" he cried, prying them off and putting them back in.

"I suppose that we should explore this place. So, yes Mikey, we can go for a swim." Leo said, smiling.

"Oh, thank the turtle gods everywhere that Mighty Leo of the Jungle is allowing us to do something! Sheesh!" Raph scoffed and unable to control his bad attitude, he knocked Don's book out of his hands.

He had to vent his disgust somehow. Why did Don have to 'betray' him by accepting that stupid book from that wench anyway?? It made him so mad!

"Hey!" Don cried, glaring. He picked the book up and put it on a table.

"Raph!" Leo shouted, but he was not listening.

"What's his problem now?" Don asked, figuring he might as well get used to this. Raph's been like this all their lives. Nothing new there.

"He's just upset because he doesn't trust Kameko and thinks we're against him since we've accepted her kindness. Come on, let's go. I don't want us to be separated in this new territory." Leo said.

They caught up with Raph outside and walked the trail where Kameko said there was a waterfall and large pool with many basking rocks. They found the place after twenty minutes of walking.

Mikey squealed with delight and charged into the pool happily with a splash that would scare fishes for miles. Don jumped the rocks to settle on the warmest one directly in the sunlight.

He cried out when Mikey grabbed his leg and dragged him into the water. Don surfaced gasping for air as Mikey came up to slap water into his eyes.

"Mikey! You are going to pay for that one! Come here!" Don shouted, grabbing Mikey into a playful chokehold and scrubbing his knuckles into his brother's bald scalp hard.

Mikey laughed as he struggled to get away and succeeded. "You needed it, dude! Hey! Catch me if you can!" he said, kicking his legs down full force, splashing Don again. He swam away snickering, then disappeared under the waterfall.

"Get back here, Mikey! I'm not done with you!" Don laughed and dove under too.

Leo and Raph watched their younger brothers playing, being at full harmony with each other. Raph looked at Leo, scoffing and went into the water. Leo sighed and shook his head.

It would be nice if he could fool around with Raph and have fun like that, but Raph was too touchy for such playing. Leo knew he had to be thankful. At least Don and Mikey weren't like Raph.

He too joined his brothers in the water and they spent most of the day either swimming or basking on the rocks. After dozing for some time on a warm rock, Leo woke up suddenly when he thought he heard someone in the underbrush nearby.

His brothers were too busy swimming in the water to notice much. Raph was still exploring the cave behind the waterfall and didn't return yet. Leo left the pool to investigate.

"Where you going, Leo? The water's still warm, come on in!" Mikey said, floating on his shell and back-pedaling in circles.

"I'll be back shortly, Mikey. I've got to go-"

"Go take a whiz?" Mikey interrupted, nodding. "Yeah, you better go do it in the woods. I'd hate to swim around in your-"

"I know, Mikey! I know. Don't worry, I'll come back soon enough." Leo said, rolling his eyes.

"Be sure to take a dump too. I'd hate to swim around in that nasty stuff. This water is so nice and clean. Hee hee!" Mikey said, playing with some long grasses growing near the bank. "Tickley!"

"Ok, Mikey. Ok. Ugh!" Leo walked into the forest and sniffed the air. There was another human here, but it wasn't Kameko. He ventured deeper into the forest and he knew he was being followed.

He unsheathed his katanas and waited for an attack to come. Suddenly, several tiny darts flew through the air all at once. Leo dodged quickly, deflecting them with his swords, but was hit regardless. A sharp sudden pain hit his shoulder and he instinctively grabbed it.

Whatever the dart had was sucking the strength out of him at an alarming rate. He tore the dart out and flung it away. Breathing hard, he steadied his swords and listened carefully.

Behind him off to his left, he heard someone running at him. He turned and his katanas crashed into another sword. His attacker kicked him down and he rolled away to avoid a stab to the chest.

He held up his blades to block the next attack and this time kicked his assailant in the gut. She was rammed into a tree behind her and crumbled to the ground from the impact.

"So, Kameko was lying to us afterall..." Leo said in a low irritable tone as he looked at Lotus groaning. He walked closer to her to inspect her condition. In a flash, Lotus attacked again, kicking Leo's left thigh, his bad leg, as hard as she could.

He fell to his knees, holding his leg in torment. She smashed her hilt into his thigh over and over before he lashed out, cutting a long gash up her right arm. She recoiled, grabbing her arm for a moment, then raised her blade high to strike.

With a battle cry, she swung and lost her sword as Leo knocked it out of her grasp with one hit of his katana. Her sword went flying into a tree and was stuck deep into the trunk.

"Kameko did not betray you, Leonardo." Lotus said, yanking out a back up dagger from her boot.

"How's that? She obviously sent you to kill me." Leo said bitterly. He stood up carefully, his leg throbbing with pain. Lotus slashed with her short dagger, aiming for his throat.

Leo backed away, blocking one swipe after another, before he slapped the blade from her hand. She took a step back, then launched herself into the air to kick him and hopefully get him off his feet.

But he caught her leg and simply dropped her to the ground. She tried again, kicking out her leg to bring him down, but he jumped high and seemingly disappeared.

She looked around herself, panicking. Where did he go? Then she felt strong arms go around her from behind and she knew she was done for.

It felt like he was trying to pull her head off her spine even though he was only restraining her. She believed he had no feelings for her and that she was a fool to think she could have been friends with him.

"Good! Kill me! I have lost and I deserve to die!" she shouted, surprising Leo. He wasn't trying to kill her.

He didn't let her go since he didn't trust she wouldn't try something else, but he did have questions for her.

"I'm not going to kill you. But I want to know why Kameko lied to me and my brothers." Leo said, searching her belt and finding more weapons. He tossed them away into the bushes yards away and loosened his hold on her.

She broke away, breathing hard and glaring. She had better clear Kameko's name or else she wouldn't get paid.

"Kameko did not send me here to attack you. I did this on my own free will." Lotus explained.

"What you really mean is that you are trying to kill me because you were paid to, right?" Leo asked irritably.

"No! I'm being paid **_not_** to kill you by Kameko. The real reason why I attacked you just now is because I wanted to defeat you in battle Leonardo." Lotus said, avoiding his eyes.

"But instead I have lost. I have nothing left to live for and by ninja code, I must die for losing to you. You must kill me now." Lotus said, throwing herself to his feet. She was glad that he couldn't see the tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you, Lotus. I-"

"You dare insult me then?! I have lost and deserve to perish! Kill me so I can die with honor!" Lotus bent down lower as she cried.

"Honor? Honor...?" Leo said, disgusted by her words. "You don't _have_ honor, Lotus..."

He looked down at her with pity as she sobbed silently. Sighing, he bent down and pulled her into his arms. Desiring support of any kind, she welcomed this. He stroked her hair as she cried more.

After some time, she regained her composure. Leo helped her wrap the long cut on her arm to keep it from getting infected with some material of her outfit.

"I've miss you, Leonardo..." she whispered, holding onto the natural armor on his chest. "I did not mean to harm you that night those weeks ago. I never knew Kano's slave had such a powerful gun. I would have never darted you if I had known..."

"That's in the past, Lotus." Leo said, letting her lean against him as they sat near a tree. "So, what have you been doing for all these years? Do you...have any children?"

"I have living all over the country and meeting all sorts of men." she said in an unhappy tone. "All of them disappointments. Thus, I have no children." She paused before adding, "How about you?"

"I was training in the jungle for some time alone until I came back to lead my brothers against crime at home. The usual." he said, getting up and she did the same.

She almost fell though and Leo caught her, causing their faces to come very close. Lotus locked on his brown eyes, gazing into them deeply for a few moments before he hastily looked away.

She felt subdued when he did that. It was like he didn't harbor any feelings for her. She decided she was stupid to think he might have still. Afterall, she did try to kill him. That alone must have made him not care for her anymore.

"What a sickening display this is..."

"Raph!" Leo cried, untangling himself from Lotus and going to his brother.

"Why don't you invite Little Miss Assassin over for dinner, Leo? It'll be real cute to have her kill us for dessert!" Raph scowled disgustedly.

Without a warning, he threw one of his sais to Lotus' face. The blade cut her cheek as it sank into the tree behind her. She gasped and placed a hand to her face in surprise.

Leo was shocked at first, but said nothing since he knew she deserved it. Anyone who wanted to harm or kill his brotherhood warranted no respect from him.

"That is if I don't kill her first..." Raph said, reaching for his other sai from his belt. Lotus took off into the forest and Raph was ready to hunt her down. He grabbed his other sai from the tree and hurried after her.

"Raph, stop! Come back here!" Leo shouted, but naturally Raph ignored him. He raced after his younger brother and tackled him to the ground.

Leo got off him once he received a savage blow from his brother's elbow to the gut. Raph got to his feet, but Leo grabbed his ankle, causing him to fall.

"D-mn it, she's getting away! Let go, Leo!" Raph shouted, kicking him in the face until he finally let go. Leo grunted as Raph had him on his shell with his sai stabbing into his chin.

"Don't follow me, Leo... That b-tch dies tonight or else we do! Don't try to stop me! Got that?" Raph spat, ramming the handle of his sais into Leo's stomach with one fast hard blow.

Leo doubled over to his side in agony as Raph disappeared into the forest. Once the pain subsided, Leo gave up. This might as well be. Lotus wasn't worth hanging onto. He hobbled back to the pool with the waterfall to find his brothers and get some medical aid.

* * *

After several minutes of chasing Lotus, Raph cornered her in a ravine. Without any weapons, Lotus backed up against the wall of rock and glared. Then she remembered there was a backup dart in her boot.

"Ok, this is it! You're NOT going to get away from me this time, Lotus!" Raph shouted, twirling his sais in his hands. Lotus kicked her leg out and got him in the chin, making him recoil a bit.

She ran around behind him and yanked the dart out from her boot. When she looked up, he jumped on her and had her on the ground with his right sai coming at her fast.

She stabbed his left arm with the dart and struggled to keep it in for as long as she could. He screamed from the surprise attack and fought her off.

The effects of the dart worked quickly and Raph was already weakened to the point where Lotus could have a chance at staying alive...barely.

She dodged his vicious, yet slowed attempts to tear her open with his sais. After missing several times, Raph roared out his frustrations while battling the tranquilizer. He managed to knock her down once more and got on top of her to keep her from escaping.

Growling, he raised his right sai first and sent it down, but it sunk into the ground next to her head. Shaking off the dizziness and blurred vision, he tried again with the left sai. It bit into the ground above her head, missing her by millimeters.

Breathing hard, Raph scowled and shook his head again. Stupid tranquilizer!!! He collapsed to the right side of her and was losing consciousness quickly.

Lotus stared at him, finding herself feeling very strange. As ridiculous as it sounded, she received much excitement from being hunted down by Raphael.

Though she welcomed death from Leo, she wasn't all for being killed by Raph. He wouldn't give a swift painless death as Leo might have.

Being tortured and slowly killed was obviously a frightening way to go and it was something to be avoided at all costs. But as she battled and weakened him, that problem was delayed and a deceiving confidence flowed over her. It gave way to a new foolish notion.

If she could not win against Leonardo's swords, maybe she could win a different kind of battle just as impressive with the Turtles.

If she could win over Raphael's heart, then surely she would know if Leonardo still cared for her if he showed any jealousy. Plus, she could keep Raph's claws from disemboweling her if she could get on his good side.

Then she could get some revenge against Leonardo for being better than her at swordsmanship and not granting her an 'honorable' death.

Not to mention not being her friend. A crazy notion, yes, but she did not care. She would make him suffer dearly for everything...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 6! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Will Lotus be able to sway Raph to her side or will she be butchered? Are the Turtles really safe at Kameko's secret beach? Next chapter, Mondo Gecko will make an appearance with an important warning along with Karai!) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	6. Mikey's Nightmares

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.6

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
Please R&R and please no flames!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

As Lotus pondered on how to win Raph over to her, she decided she had better take him back to Kameko's house, otherwise Leo would think she tried to do harm to Raph instead.

And then she would have a whole family of angry Turtles to deal with. She hoisted Raph onto her back, but of course, he resisted. She barely got her hands away in time before they were almost bitten off.

"Keep...your d-mn hands OFF me...!" Raph snarled, pushing her away as he laid on the ground on his side. "I can...walk just fine!"

He swaggered to his feet, but had to grab onto a large rock to keep himself from crashing back to the earth. He groaned and shook his head, holding onto it as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"When this wears off... I'm gonna... Gonna..." Raph tried to say as he lost consciousness. He fell to the dirt with a loud thud and was still. Lotus put him on her back again and dragged him back to Kameko's.

She was glad she saw Kameko first when she arrived and she helped her take Raph to some place he could rest, yet not harm anyone once he woke up.

Unfortunately, Kameko did not keep quiet about Raph's condition and told Mikey, who told his brothers. Leo came rushing in about ten minutes later looking angry.

"What did you do to him?" Leo asked, roughly pushing Lotus away from Raph's side as he laid on a bed. Leo inspected his brother and noticed the stab mark on his arm. He gave her a look of distrust and ill-will.

"You poisoned him, didn't you?!" Leo said in a loud tone, causing Lotus to back away a little.

"I had to defend myself!" she shot back, going back to Raph's side to 'take care of him' by wiping a damp cool washcloth over his forehead in a fond manner.

"I thought you said you wanted to die, remember?" Leo felt strange seeing Lotus showing such caring behavior towards his little brother.

"I want to die with honor by _your_ hands, Leonardo. I did not want to be slain by your brother. So I tranquilized him and escaped being killed in a dishonorable way. You can not complain. Plus, Raphael is not harmed. He will be fine in a few days as he gets his strength back. I plan to care for him to show him that I am not a threat." Lotus explained.

She took Raph's mask off and proceeded to wash the dirt from his face in way that looked so ridiculously affectionate that it bothered Leo. Confused, he did his best to ignore the feelings of sudden jealousy rising in him then.

"I don't trust you, Lotus. I'll take care of him myself." Leo said, yanking the washcloth from her. He sat down next to Raph and wiped his face clean.

"No! You will not get in my way of proving to him that I am not a threat! I do not want him coming after me again, I must care for him! He will trust me if I am kind to him!" Lotus cried, knowing if she didn't fight to care for Raph, her plans to punish Leo would never be.

"Dude! Why are you guys screaming so much? We can hear you down the hall." Mikey said coming in. Don and Kameko came in after him to look at Raph.

"Leonardo, please! Allow me to care for Raphael! I need to prove to him that I am no threat to him or his brothers. I can only do that by caring for him. It is my responsibility to return him to full health since I drugged him. Please permit me to do this!" Lotus cried, throwing herself to the floor while holding onto his left hand to beg.

Embarrassed to have Lotus act this way in front of everyone, Leo cringed. What was wrong with her? Kameko made a strange face and hurried to make Lotus stand up.

"You don't need to beg like that, Lotus." she said, then looked at Leo. Why was he being difficult too? She thought she got him to trust her. And that meant, he should trust Lotus too.

"Leonardo, I told you beforehand that Lotus is no longer a threat to us and you seemed to believe me. Have you thought me a liar regardless of what I said before?" Kameko asked, worried and bit insulted.

"No, of course not!" Leo said, beginning to feel overwhelmed. "It's just Lotus attacked me in the forest earlier and now my brother is unconscious. I have a right to not accept her to care for Raphael after what's just happened."

"I have said before, I _had_ to defend myself! **_I_** have a right to do that!" Lotus cried, purposely crying to get some pity from the others. If she could get them on her side, Leo would be forced to give in otherwise he would appear overprotective for no good reason.

"I'll watch her, Leo." Don offered, having an idea in mind. "I can start digesting the books Kameko has while I keep an eye on Lotus." It was a good excuse for him to get a lot of reading time in this way.

Leo sighed hard as he looked at Raph and then Lotus, who had a surly expression on her face for him. He stroked Raph's head in a fatherly way and gave in reluctantly.

"Alright, Don. If you supervise, Lotus is allowed to care for Raphael." Leo said, knowing if anything happened to his little brother, he wouldn't hesitate to kill Lotus.

Kameko checked her watch and pointed out it was time for dinner. She ushered Mikey and Don out. Lotus began to follow them, but Leo grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I'm warning you, Lotus. If anything happens to Raphael and I mean, anything..." Leo said, his tone very threatening and stiff with anger. She yanked her arm free and stood her ground.

"You have nothing to worry about, Leonardo. I have no interests in harming Raphael or the rest of your family. You will learn to trust me, Green One. I am not bad as you once knew me." Lotus said, changing her expression to one more coy and flirtatious.

She stepped forward and danced her fingers on his chest in a seductive fashion. Then she leaned against him, testing to see how he would react to this. He may still have a scrap of care left in him for her. He couldn't have abandoned all of it.

"You're right." Leo replied, pushing her away. "You're worse." He went back to Raph's side and sat angrily, facing away from her. Lotus gave a forlorn look that Leo did not see before she left.

Leo heard her leave and sighed tiredly. He felt strange, confused, and terrible all at the same time. Why did she want to care for Raph so badly anyway? It couldn't be because she truly wanted Raph to trust her. That would never happen, no matter how hard she tried.

The thought of Lotus being kind to Raph replayed in his mind again and it annoyed him. He didn't want her to be like that to his little brother. It had to be a trick, there was no way she liked Raph -SNAP- just like that. Plus, he would never like her too.

Growling, Leo stood up quickly. Why did he feel this way? He couldn't really be jealous! And jealous of what? Lotus wasn't really worth hanging on to. But still Leo did anyway since she was his first infatuation.

'I was only attracted to her when I was a silly teen. I didn't know any better. I can't possibly really like her anyway. She's dishonest with no sense of honor whatsoever. Just forget about her!' he thought to himself. Unfortunately he wasn't sure if he could just yet...

* * *

Days went by and Raph didn't regain consciousness. Don put some good use to the medical equipment Kameko had and hooked Raph up to the right machines to monitor his recovery process, which wasn't going too well.

Lotus couldn't understand to why Raph wouldn't wake up. She was fairly sure the dart she used only had tranquilizer in it, not poison. Leo believed otherwise and was in a constant hostile mood due to this.

As the days passed, Mikey had a reoccurring dream that bothered him. After having it for four nights straight, he knew it was a warning of some kind.

In the dream, he would see Raph in his sick bed, still unconscious and everything. But he appeared larger and had razor sharp teeth. Last Mikey knew, they all had flat teeth. Don was with Raph in the room, acting normal and reading a book.

But then suddenly Don collapsed to the floor, crying out as he held his sides in agony. Next he changed into that dangerous bestial version of himself and started trashing the room.

Out of the blue, Raph wakes up and begins to fight with Don like two crazed beasts from Hell. And eventually they kill each other.

Of course that is all horrific and everything, but worst of all is that Mikey sees himself in third person mode mutating into a frightening creature himself.

He sees himself changing into a monstrous beast and he finds Kameko at the beach. She tries to reason with him as if she understands that it wasn't his fault for being mutated like this. But he strikes her down with his massive claws and eats her alive.

Usually he woke up at this part of the nightmare, but on the fourth night, the evil dream continued on. As he wanders around covered in blood and dragging the remains of Kameko with him, he discovers Leo has transformed as well.

He has both Lotus and Karai impaled on his swords and is decapitating them both. This time Mikey screamed for close to a full minute after this night's installment of horror.

As he did before, Leo hugged Mikey close as he sobbed violently from the nightmare. What was giving his baby brother these terrible nightmares? They couldn't really mean anything, could they?

After Mikey told the full nightmare to his two older brothers, Don worried plenty. He had mutated into a savage beast due to being infected by alien mutant DNA and he didn't want to go through that again.

Leo assured Mikey that the nightmares were only that, nightmares and nothing else. Mikey had a feeling he was wrong and was deathly afraid. He couldn't live with himself if he killed Kameko while being a mindless super mutant monster.

"It does mean something, Leo... I just know it. Don, we gotta do something! I don't wanna eat Kameko!" Mikey cried, tears pouring out.

Don shifted nervously. "I understand what you mean, Mikey. I'll have to take tests of our DNA and see if there's anything weird going on. I'll try to make a cure or something to retard it if that's what it comes down to."

"Please, hurry. I don't want to be a monster..." Mikey whispered seriously, hiding his face into Leo's chest.

"Mikey, don't worry. We're not going to turn into monsters. It was just a nightmare." Leo said, not wanting to believe this sort of thing was going to happen again and to all of them this time.

But as he checked on Raph later on in the morning, he did appear to be larger somewhat and his claws really needed a trim. Leo started to take into consideration that Mikey's nightmares were indeed a warning...

He stayed by Raph's side, pretty much ignoring Lotus who walked in moments later. She was surprised to see him instead of Donatello. Lotus felt awkward to be alone with Leo now that he was always angry at her.

She was at a loss since she had hoped to be at least friends with Leo, but that was impossible now since he was so ticked off at her. She hated to admit it, but she was afraid of what Leo would do to her if Raph did not wake up.

Lotus decided to not show any fear and began to hydrate Raph by rubbing him with a wet cloth. Leo promptly snatched the cloth away from her and glared at her viciously, eyes narrowed with malice.

She said nothing and stared back, feeling hurt. Leo 'hmph'ed and cleaned his little brother with great care. Lotus knew she had better say something in her defense. She didn't plan to have Raph end up like this, but Leo was treating her like she had done it on purpose.

"You can not act this way to me, Leonardo! I did not want Raphael to be like this!" Lotus cried, her emotion well heard.

"What way did you want him to be then? Dead on the spot when you first poisoned him?" Leo asked with much aversion.

"No!" Lotus shouted, then crossed her arms. "If I wanted him dead, he would be already be dead! I do not play around, you know this!"

"Yes I do. I also know that you like to kill hands on, but you can't with us. We're too strong for you and you know it. That's why you poisoned me before weeks ago and that's exactly what you did to my brother now!" Leo scowled, then paused to give her a piercing hostile glare.

"You can't fool me, Lotus..." Leo said in a low disgusted voice. "Even if Kameko's not in on this, you are trying to kill my family because _Kano_ is paying you to! Don't even try to get out of it! Your pathetic lies won't convince me of anything!"

Lotus bit her lip as she forced her tears back. It was easy to see that Leo did not trust her anymore, but she never knew his distrust would boil down to this. He was accusing her falsely and she knew he wouldn't listen to anything she had to say in her favor.

"You're wrong... I am loyal to Kameko now. But feel free to kill me then! I may be without honor, but at least I won't have to take your slanderous hatred anymore!" Lotus shouted and went around the bed to get at Leo's swords from his back.

She yanked one free and pushed the handle into his hands, while holding onto the end of the blade to her throat. Leo stared at her like she was crazy.

"You know what to do! It's what you _want_ to do! KILL ME!" Lotus screamed, then broke down. She collapsed to the floor as Leo whisked his sword away and sheathed it.

She hated to be so emotional like this, but Leo had really hurt her by accusing her falsely. It hurt more since it was coming from him, someone she had feelings for and thought was her true friend.

He started to bend down to get Lotus off the floor, when Raph began to groan and stir. Leo was instantly by his little brother's side and holding his hand.

"Raph! Raph, are you alright? How do you feel?" Leo asked, waiting anxiously for him to reply. Raph could only murmur something Leo couldn't understand, but he felt really relieved. At least Raph woke up!

"You're going to be ok, Raph. Don't worry. You'll be just fine now." Leo told him, stroking his face with much brotherly love. He hugged him tightly until Raph weakly punched his shoulder to get him off.

"Uhh... Need...Food..." Raph choked out, squeezing his eyes shut. He wasn't better just yet.

"I will get you some food, Raphael." Lotus offered, but had to back up as Raph's refusal was blasted at her. He opened his eyes in a flash, remembering that it was Lotus who did this to him. His rage helped him sit up fast to attack.

He tried to lunge at her so he could claw her face off, but nearly fell to the floor instead. Leo caught him and helped him back to bed. Raph continued to mumble out intense dislike for Lotus then.

"Urrgh! Lemme go..! Gotta...gotta kill her...! She...she tried to kill me!"

Leo did his best to calm his flailing sibling and rushed Lotus out of the room. "You'd better disappear and not bother him. He'll definitely kill you." Leo said seriously.

"What do you care if I get killed? I have no honor so I'm worthless and need to die. Why should you care about me? You no longer have feelings for me!" Lotus cried, finally saying what she could not for days on end.

When Leo avoided her eyes, she took it very badly and ran off to the kitchen. She would make him sorry for 'dumping' her by getting Raph to be fond of her instead. Then he would know how she felt then by sticking it back at him.

Leo shook his head as he watched Lotus run off. He decided to go see if Don could go supervise again. He found Don tapping away at a computer in a lab Kameko had set up as soon as Don asked her to.

"How's it going, Donnie?" Leo asked him, putting his hand on the back of the chair Don was sitting in.

"Um, not so good." Don had to admit. "I checked our blood samples and...well..."

"You can tell me, Don. What is it?"

"Mikey's nightmares weren't too far off. Even though the changes I saw were very minimal, I'm not taking them lightly. I _don't_ want this sort of thing to happen ever again. I'll have to contact Leatherhead for his research notes on how he cured me the last time. I can't help anyone if I...I..." Don swallowed hard, not wanting to remember _that_ pain again.

The alien mutagen that infected Don those many years ago had triggered an advanced stage of mutation inside his body, causing poor Don to change into a savage mindless beast.

That agony was so unbelievably devastating that Don never ever wanted to suffer like that again nor did he want his brothers to go through it either. But should this change he saw in their DNA get any worse, they were pretty much doomed.

They would need a cure, a stronger one than the one Leatherhead created or else everyone on the island would be killed. Including themselves. The advanced mutation stage would burn out the Turtles within a matter of days.

"I'm guessing you can't help supervise Lotus with Raph anymore, huh?" Leo asked, already knowing the answer.

"No... No, I can't..." Don said, barely paying attention since he was so absorbed into fixing this new upcoming problem. "I've got to ask Kameko if I can call out of here right away. I'm not sure where Leatherhead is these days. I hope I can get a hold of him in time."

Don rushed off to find Kameko, leaving Leo behind. He sighed and looked at the computer which Don left running. He might as well check their e-mail.

Out of the ones they received, Leo saw a few were from April. He read the three e-mails where she begged for Raph's forgiveness and asked where they were since they weren't answering her calls. He read them, all of which were mostly the same with the same message.

_ "Guys, I'm so sorry for accusing Raphael of molesting May. Our doctor said she had been abused by a 'friend' Angel hangs around with. I feel so stupid! I wish I didn't say those things to Raph. Casey told me you four aren't at the Lair anymore and we're afraid that you've all run away or are hiding from us. Please come back. Words can't describe how much regret Casey and I feel for doing what we did. We should have trusted you, you're our only friends and we let you down with not believing your innocence. Shame on us, we don't deserve such wonderful friends like you four. Please call us or write back. We're so sorry.  
-April and Casey"_

Leo felt a bit happy knowing that April trusted them again as he accepted those e-mails of apology. But he had a feeling Raph might not. He had to tell him regardless.

As he went back to Raph, he heard much yelling. He went in and saw Lotus trying to give Raph food. Naturally, Raph was refusing to eat it (believing it was poison again) and hurling threats.

Leo took the tray of food away from Lotus and set it on a table near the door. He started to push her out the door when Raph shouted at him.

"Don't try to protect her, Leo!" Raph roared, his anger giving him strength. "It's obvious she's out to kill us! She tried to kill you first, now me! I bet Mikey's next since he's so stupid and trusting of her worthless kind!"

"Raph! Stop that! Humans are not worthless! They're our friends!" Leo shot back.

"Like h-ll they are! They're nothing, but lying backstabbers!" Raph screamed, shaking his fist.

"Raph! April sent us e-mails saying how sorry she was! She knows you didn't molest May! One of Angel's so-called 'friends' did it. He was caught and in jail for the child abuse." Leo said, going to his side.

He hoped to see Raph ease up from this news, but instead he saw how bitter Raph looked. Like he thought before, Raph wouldn't accept April's apology so easily.

'Took her that long, huh? Now she wants me to just forgive her because she finally figures out she was wrong about me? Nuh-uh, no way sister. Not after the way she screamed at me like that...' Raph thought, his heart still very much wounded.

Suddenly, Lotus surprised him.

"How dare this April accuse a honorable ninja of harming a child! Defiling children is something we ninjas _never_ do! I will not take this insult lightly! Where is this woman? I must punish her for this outrage!" Lotus shouted, truly offended by this news.

"You Turtles are the most honorable creatures I have ever known. That woman is a fool to dare smear such filth upon your honor!" Lotus went on.

"Cut the act, Lotus! You don't give a d-mn about anybody's honor, so shut the h-ll up! You d-mn near tried to kill me off and I'm not going to take _that_ lightly! You better get off this island before I can get my claws on you..." Raph growled, although he did appreciate her knowing that he was no child abuser.

She was on his 'side' for that and that alone scored some small points for her with Raph. He thought a very tiny bit better of her, though it did not make him trust nor like her.

'See, April! Even low-life Lotus knows I'm a good guy...' Raph thought to himself.

Lotus was a good observer and noticed the slight gratitude in Raph's eyes when she genuinely displayed her disgust for April's slanderous allegations against Raph's character. She knew that he was the type who liked those who were submissive to him.

"I look forward to being hunted then." Lotus simply said, leaving a mixed message, walking away. Both brothers weren't sure what to make of that exactly. Raph felt like she could be challenging him somehow and wasn't going to back down.

"Hey, get back here! I'm not done with you!" Raph yelled, trying to get up, but Leo put a hand on his shoulder.

"Raph, just calm down. I have to tell you something important." Leo said, getting ready to tell him about Mikey's nightmares and Don's scientific findings.

"Look, Leo. I ain't in the mood for any more sh-t from April. I-"

"No, not that!" Leo squeezed his eyes shut, sighing before he went on. "Mikey's been having nightmares again. Don's found evidence that his nightmares are not just scary dreams... They're...a warning."

"What?! Aw, shell no...!" Raph groaned, not wanting to take on this new issue. He had enough problems as it was. "Don's going to turn into that thing _again_? D-mn!"

"Well, Don's trying to find Leatherhead so he can help. I just hope we don't run out of time before...before..."

"You sound like a d-mn broken record, Leo! Just spit it out already!"

"Before we all turn into monsters."

"Whoa, wait! Did you say _we_? What's this 'we' part? I thought Don's the one changing again, not the rest of us. We didn't get infected by that alien mutagen, only Don did!"

"Don didn't give me much detail, all I know is that we've got to be careful. We have been growing pretty large over the years afterall. Maybe we're hitting the next advanced stage or something. Even if we don't become mindless beasts, I think we'll keep on growing and that can't be good. Either way, we're in big trouble."

All Raph could say next was, "Oh, crud."

* * *

The next day, Mikey wandered about outside near the beach by himself. He was trying to avoid Kameko lately. He feared he would change into a beast at any moment and devour her like a real monster.

He spent most of the morning alone sorting out his thoughts and worries with the waves in front of him and the forest behind him. Suddenly, he heard someone coming out of the bushes. He turned to see a face he hadn't seen in years.

"MG! Dude! How did you-? When did you-?" Mikey stammered. He noticed something different about him. He looked...more human!

"Michelangelo! Man, I'm so glad I found you! I knew my dreams were right. You _were_ on a secret island, heh!" Mondo Gecko said, grinning. They hugged, patting each other's backs.

"Dreams? Dude, you've been having dreams again? What were they about?" Mikey asked, his fears returning.

"Well, at first they were about me turning into Godzilla and destroying cities. I was feeling pretty sick too so I looked for you guys in the sewers."

"But in my condition I zoned out and got totally lost, man. Leatherhead found me and cured me, at least he thinks he did. We're still running tests. But so far it's looking good!" Mondo Gecko said, grinning.

"Yeah, you almost look human again. Wow!" Mikey said, feeling a bit better. It sounded like Leatherhead had a cure for them and they would be ok afterall. It would be safe to be around Kameko again. Yay!

"Is Leatherhead with you? How'd you guys get here?" Mikey asked as the two friends sat on the beach watching the waves. Gecko's black bangs flowed with the breeze as he took in a deep breath of fresh air.

"Kinda a long story... But don't go postal when I tells ya..." he said, feeling uneasy. Karai warned him not to tell the Turtles of her plan or else. He had to tell Mikey something at least.

"No way, dude. I'd never go postal on you. Just tell me." Mikey said smiling. Gecko turned away, feeling worse.

He'd be in super big trouble if he told Mikey how Karai planned on making Leonardo be the next leader of the Foot Clan. The new improved Shredder of all crazy things. Nutty yes, but it was what Karai wanted for some reason.

Mondo Gecko didn't know the reason, he wasn't allowed to know and he was expected not to care too. He wished he could warn his pals, but it would cost him his life...and theirs.

"No... No, I can't tell ya everything. But I can at least tell ya how I got here. Karai brought me here with Leatherhead to help persuade you Turtles to accept her offer. She said she'll tell your brother Leonardo all about it. That's all I can say..." Gecko said, hating to be on Karai's side, but if he didn't, she would have him killed in the most painful of ways.

"What? Karai's here? Major problemo! I've got to warn the guys!" Mikey cried,

"No worries, man. Karai's been at the house all morning. I'm sure your brothers already know." Gecko said, making Mikey stay. He had to keep him there as Karai instructed.

Leatherhead probably was already keeping Don separated from his brothers too, like Karai wanted. Lotus should be doing the same with Raphael.

Kameko would soon arrive to keep Mikey preoccupied while Mondo Gecko would get his reward of a special vial of reversal mutagen.

It would be a permanent one so he wouldn't need shots to keep from super mutating into a mindless beast. Being human again would definitely be nice. Then he could go home and not owe Karai anything.

"You sure?" Mikey asked, not feeling quite right about this. Though Mikey was as sharp as a marble, even he knew something weird was going on.

Just then, Mondo Gecko was waving to someone from the forest. Mikey saw it was Kameko and felt happy. From what Gecko said, Leatherhead could cure the Turtles of their super mutation problems fairly well. Mondo Gecko was living proof, so Mikey was pretty convinced things would be ok for that.

When Kameko came over, she distracted Mikey by pointing at a large pink seashell buried halfway in the sand. While Mikey was digging it out, Kameko motioned for Gecko to leave and do the rest of his 'job'.

"Well, I'll be going now. See ya later, Mike." Mondo Gecko said and walked away, bowing his head. 'I'm so sorry, my friend. But I have no choice.' he thought with a heavy heart.

Mikey and Kameko waved him goodbye. Once they were alone, Kameko snuggled up to Mikey and he welcomed her into his arms. She nuzzled him, dabbing the happy Turtle with kisses.

"For you, Kameko." he said, handing her the pink seashell. She set it aside as she leaned back against him with his arms holding her.

"You're so sweet, Mikey." she said, closing her eyes as the waves washed over their feet. Mikey wished that nagging feeling that something was wrong would go away. But it didn't...

"Kameko..."

"Hmm?"

"Why... Um... How is Karai here?"

Kameko was alarmed. How did he find out? It must have been Mondo Gecko! She feared for him should Karai know of this. While she loved her adopted sister, she was just as vicious as her brother Kano and without mercy.

"Do you know her somehow..?" Mikey went on, feeling confused and worried.

"Yes..." Kameko knew she couldn't hide her family's history forever. "She's the adopted daughter of my father...Oroku Saki..."

Mikey was silent as he took this all in badly. It was like he was rammed into a wall of bricks. He began to breathe hard, feeling worse and worse.

"You're...the Shredder's daughter..? His real daughter..?" Mikey squeaked out in a torn whisper. He pulled away from her and stood up, taking a few steps away. She quickly got up and went to him.

"Mikey, I don't hate you or your brothers for killing him! I am not like Karai for that! I don't have anything sinister planned for you guys!" she said, touching his arm which he yanked away.

"How can I really know that, Kameko?" Mikey asked, his trust in her fading fast. "You said no one could find this place. Yet, Karai found this place no prob... Maybe the next one to drop in will be your brother, huh?"

"Mikey, I love you and your brothers. I'd never do that to you, guys. Never." Kameko tried, but Mikey scoffed.

"Talk is cheap. If you loved me so much, why didn't you tell me you were Shredder's daughter?"

"I...I did not think it was important to tell you..." Kameko finally said after a long moment of silence.

Didn't think it was important? She purposely didn't tell him because she was a bad guy herself! That had to be the reason. Anyone raised by the Shredder could never be trusted. No way!

"My brothers were right... You _are_ bad..." Mikey said angrily, wiping his tears as he tore off into the forest.

"Mikey, no! Come back! Please! Mikey!" Kameko yelled and yelled, but it was too late. Mikey was gone and heartbroken.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 7! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Can Lotus sway Raph? Has Mikey been betrayed by Kameko or is it all a misunderstanding? What way can Karai make Leo accept her offer to be the next Shredder?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	7. Leo & Karai's Blood Oath

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.7

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** This story's about daily life going on between April, her daughter, and the now grown-up Turtles. When some serious abuse allegations from April's young daughter May arise against the Turtles, April is forced to choose sides. Should she believe her daughter or the Turtles? Who's telling the truth? Read and find out!  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review.  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

Mikey heard Kameko calling for him to come back, but he couldn't. He wanted to, but he couldn't trust her anymore. She was Shredhead's daughter of all things!

Old Shredder probably trained her all her life to kill the Turtles for getting in his way and she must want them butchered like Kano since they were responsible for Shredder's death.

Mikey didn't believe that Kameko didn't mind that Leonardo killed Shredder. She must have hired Lotus to secretly kill them all like Raph was telling them before.

'She was only pretending to love me...' Mikey thought, swiping at the heavy tears that were blinding him. He was in a tree, not thinking about much. He could only feel terrible sorrow in his heart for hours on end.

As time went by and the sun was setting, he slowly began to wonder about things. Eventually a certain thought came to him.

They met on the internet anonymously and there was no way she could have known he was a Turtle while they 'dated' online and talked on the phone. She didn't know what he looked like until they bumped into each other on the streets.

So, she couldn't have been playing him along while planning to kill him and his brothers in the end. Meaning she wasn't a bad guy afterall!

That gave him a ray of hope that Kameko may truly care for him and wasn't bad like he assumed. Desperate to have this to be true, he wondered if Kameko wasn't evil even though she was raised by the Shredder.

Karai had honor while Saki never did, yet he raised her too. So maybe there was hope...that Kameko was a real decent turtle-loving person on the side of good.

Mikey decided to find Kameko and apologize for being so rash. So what if she was related to the Shredder? That didn't mean she _was_ the Shredder or anything.

He went back to the beach and to his surprise, Kameko was still there. She was sitting on the sand, curled up with her head bowed. Realizing she must have been there all day, he felt guilty.

She was too sad to go back to her house and had been crying ever since her favorite Turtle had run away. Mikey walked up to her and she turned as soon as she heard him. He sat next to her, avoiding her eyes.

"...Kameko, I'm sorry... I-" Mikey began, holding his hands up in gesture and despair. She lowered them, causing their eyes to meet. They didn't need to speak since their eyes spoke for them.

As if in a wonderful perfect dream, the two came closer until they kissed tenderly. Instinctively, Mikey put his arms around Kameko, pulling her even closer to him.

She wrapped her arms behind his neck as she intensified her kiss. Mikey responded by kissing back passionately. Kameko ended the amorous tongue-wrestling, kiss festival with a few quick kisses before snuggling against him.

"Mmm... I love you, Mikey..." she whispered, stroking her hand over the upper scutes on his plastron.

"Right back at you, Kameko." he purred, closing his eyes in happiness. This was his first kiss ever and it went perfectly! Watching all those romantic movies really paid off. Righteous!

* * *

"Ok, let's get something straight here." Raph said, as he followed Lotus through the forest. "I'm only going along with this because you challenged me to. Once I beat you, I'll hunt you down and kill you."

Lotus had challenged Raph to a final fight with no weapons or tricks in an attempt to obtain some kind of honor. Leo and Raph both watched her empty her boots, pockets and lose her weaponry belt, so it was safe to say she had no weapons.

Leo allowed Lotus and Raph to have a showdown, a battle to the finish instead of Raph just butchering her off. He figured he'd give her a chance to keep her life this way.

And Raph had no problems with accepting a challenge and he knew he'd win against Lotus easily. There would be no stupid tranquilizers this time!

He couldn't wait to give her a good smackdown for poisoning him. Killing wouldn't be enough, she needed to pay first before she kicked the bucket.

"You act as if you have already won, Raphael. In order to beat me, you must catch me first!" Lotus said, leaping into the underbrush. Raph chased after her, getting whacked in the face by the bushes.

It was like she had this set up! Every bush and branch rammed his beak repetitively as he kept a good visual on Lotus. Angered, he jumped in front of her and grabbed her as she skidded to avoid running into him.

Somehow she kicked him in the face to back-flip away and get free. Growling, Raph lunged at her. She jumped away like a grasshopper and disappeared into the trees.

He flew up into the branches and grabbed her leg before she could really disappear. He flung her back down to the ground, seemingly knocking her unconscious.

"Hmph. Yeah, that was one shell of a 'challenge'." he scoffed, inspecting her to see if she was indeed knocked out. A strong right hook made him back up quickly.

By reaction, he punched her hard and sent her flying a good foot away. Crying out in pain, she grabbed her face and struggled hard not to be consumed by the agony.

She spat out blood as she breathed hard, waiting for the pain to lessen some. Raph sighed disgustedly. He hated fighting girls. They often broke easily. But Lotus sucked up the injury and snatched several rocks to throw at him.

"This fight has barely begun, Raphael! I want you to treat me as an equal fighter! Do not go easy on me! I only want your very best! If I die, I will die with honor!" Lotus shouted, taking a fast stance.

She launched herself into the air and tried drop-kicking him. But he grabbed her leg and slammed her to the ground. With the wind knocked out of her, Lotus gasped for air.

"Look, Lady. If I don't go easy on ya, you're gonna get instantly creamed by me. I mean, come on! You can't really expect to beat me. You're going to die. So just lie there and die!" Raph said, burying his fist into her gut over and over.

"I don't...care if I-...if I...die...or not! I...I...will...NEVER back down!" Lotus rasped, then kneed Raph in the groin. That got him off her and she rolled away. She glared as she sucked in air, trying to recover while Raph did the same holding himself.

"D-mn, Lady! You're a nut!" Raph scowled, trying to shake the pain. Lotus kicked him as hard as she could in the face, causing him to fall a short distance away.

Finally, she got him on his back and now was the time to plant her 'seed'. She leapt upon him, using a long thick branch to keep his arms down as she brought her face close to his.

Raph widened his eyes as Lotus kissed him on the mouth and he kicked himself back on his feet, getting her off. He spat and wiped his beak, confused and disgusted. But worst of all he was intrigued...

"Ugh! What the h-ll is the matter with you? Are you crazy?!" Raph cried, shocked that she would pull such a thing. The taste of her blood was still in his mouth, reminding him of his teenage days when he had a fetish for blood.

He had murdered so many low-life criminals as a teen, that he lost count. He savored the smell and spray of blood as some sort of deranged justice. It felt so pleasing to hear those scum-bags scream out as he drove his sais into their worthless hides.

Being almost completely carnivorous in his younger years, eating his fallen victims was a natural thing for any animal to do. He wasn't for human meat all that much, but the blood was worthwhile. That salty taste was always a fave with him.

Ever since he almost killed Mikey and met Casey Jones, Raph made a change not to kill so much. He had to have control over himself and not be such a wild animal.

Master Splinter helped him forget his fetish for blood soon after and he was a bit tamer, though it was not easy to see much improvement. He was still vicious and hot-tempered, only difference was that he toned down on the massacres.

As psychotic as it was, he felt a sudden attraction to Lotus as she kissed him. Immediately he dismissed it as temporary insanity. No way in Hell would he ever like Lotus! Never!

"Maybe I am..." Lotus said, seeing in his eyes that she had planted her 'seed' well. Now all she needed was time for that 'seed' to grow.

"What?!" Raph growled, his fists up. Lotus sauntered up to him, purposely carrying herself shamelessly to trap him. He glared, angry at himself for finding her wigglie walk captivating.

She belted him in the gut fast and took off. In a rage, he pursued. She kept several yards ahead of him, posing seductively on landmarks such as huge rocks or hugging trees in a lewd manner as she waited for him to catch up.

Raph growled. She was doing this on purpose! She was trying to get him off guard by exploiting a weakness he wished he never had. His attention was caught at her amorous posing and it made him SO MAD!

How low could she go?! How dare she lure him like this? Trying to entice him shamefully? How dare she be so good at it!

He couldn't believe he actually found it attractive too! _**ARGH!**_ Angrily, Raph punched a tree down to vent out some of his embarrassed rage.

But it wasn't enough, so he took down another tree. Then another and another. When he made it close to the cliff she was standing at, Lotus could see she was really getting to him and winning the battle. Once he trashed his eighth pine, she deemed him weakened enough to put her plan into full motion.

"Well, Raphael... It seems I am winning this fight..." Lotus said in a coy, yet sexy tone. Raph roared out his frustrations at her and pointed a finger at her.

"Bull! You've been manipulating me all this time! D-mn you! I am so going to tear your head off and kick it down that d-mn cliff over there!" Raph screamed and charged at her.

She stood and allowed him to grab her. He flung her around 180 degrees and threw her into the ground. As she hoped, his strength had been spent on the trees. He was seething with rage, baring his teeth at her and breathing hard in fury.

"No way... _No way_ in Hell are you going to conquer me like- like _that_!" Raph hissed, his arms trembling and fists shaking as he held her down by the shoulders. Just kill her already! Do it!

But he couldn't bring his claws down into her gut to disembowel. And he knew why...

He couldn't believe it! He actually _liked_ that kiss Lotus gave him moments before. He had always wanted a female to show such affections towards him, but why did it have to be Lotus of all girls? It embarrassed him to death.

"I already have..." Lotus said in a satisfied whisper. As fast as a cobra strike, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, thrusting her tongue in. For a second or so, Raph allowed this until he came to his senses.

Feeling as if his pride was at stake, Raph recoiled and took two back flips away from her. He hated how he wanted to stay lip-locked with her. It made him feel like a traitor to himself.

"Knock it off! I don't like humans, ok?! I especially don't like you!" Raph shouted, glaring and shaking his fist at her. But his eyes spoke something different and Lotus smiled, looking satisfied.

"Your eyes can not fool me, Raphael. I know the truth. We both do..." Lotus said, taking off into the forest leaving a stunned Raph behind to chew on that for a while.

She knew him well enough to know he would stay away from everyone until he sorted his thoughts out first. That usually took a day at least.

It was enough time for Karai to present her offer to Leo without his brothers distracting him. She went back to Kameko's house to await further orders.

Raph stood near the forest and stared at the direction where Lotus disappeared to. He couldn't believe her arrogance. No way she could read him that well. He didn't want her to! How dare she do this to him!!!

Without really wanting to, memories of Lotus posing erotically drove him mad with lust, disgust, and rage as they played through his mind's eye. Screaming his lungs out, he basically went postal and destroyed plenty more trees, not to mention some huge rocks.

After breaking his right hand, he finally stopped punching and screaming. Breathing hard, he leaned against a large smooth wall of rock and slid down it, exhausted.

His swirling emotions blocked out the pain from his broken hand as he closed his eyes and tried to calm down. Why did he have to feel attracted to Lotus of all people? Why?!

There was nothing good about her, there were only bad things. She was out to kill them, yet instead she was playing mind games. Raph wished she kept on trying to kill them so he could just kill her right off.

But now she had touched his heart in ways that made him want to retreat into his shell. When it came to girls and love, Raph was a pretty shy Turtle. He always felt awkward and embarrassed, with no control on the situation.

It made him feel weak like a stupid sissy and _that_ made him mad. It was like an emotional rollercoaster with no end in sight. If his brothers found out, they would tease him to death and be called a hypocrite.

As the sun went down, Raph started a fire to keep warm. Thanks to the injury, he had to make the fire with his feet and left hand. He wasn't going back to Kameko's house. Not just yet...

* * *

Leo watched the sun going down at the west wing of Kameko's mansion and sensed something was wrong. But he didn't know what.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Leo turned around with his swords drawn. He grit his teeth and snarled in hostility. How did _she_ find them here? She must be working with Kano!

"Karai!" he shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"To present you an offer..." Karai said mysteriously.

"I'm not interested in hearing it." Leo kept on his guard even though Karai had no weapons. Well, none that he could see.

"Then I will keep the cure to your advanced mutation problem to myself then." Karai said, baiting him. Leo growled, then sighed. He had to bite for this one.

"You have a cure?" Leo asked, not sure if he should believe her.

"Yes and I have proof." Karai said, clapping her hands. Mondo Gecko came into the room and Leo could see that he was almost back to his human form. Leo was amazed.

"Hey there, Leo." Gecko said, giving a little timid wave. He was too fearful to do anything with Karai around.

"With the help of Leatherhead, Dr. Chaplin and his team have created a permanent cure to prevent most mutants from changing into savage beasts." Karai explained. "Mondo Gecko was cured by Leatherhead and he said he had dreams that you Turtles were also turning into savage beasts."

"I studied him and it is indeed true that Gecko is spiritually linked to one of your brothers, Michelangelo. Thus, his dreams are a warning of what will come. I do not want to have you Turtles transforming into monsters and eventually attacking my fortress, so I have come to help." Karai said, going on.

"I have brought Leatherhead here so he can help my scientists develop a compatible cure for you Turtles. He is with Donatello and they should be working on that cure now."

"And I assume your help comes with a price." Leo said, figuring this much. Karai wasn't a charitable person, especially not to them.

"It is an offer, Leonardo. The Foot Clan is suffering some disloyalty with the Purple Dragons. They lose respect due to that they can not accept me as the Shredder. The sexist pigs that now follow Hun refuse to take my orders and too many of my members are leaving to join Hun's side. My honorable Foot Clan is in danger of disbanding." Karai said, sounding a bit desperate.

"And I should care, why?" Leo asked, not moved by her problems. She was a problem to him and with no more Foot Clan, that would be one less problem.

"Do you want the Purple Dragons to rule?! It will be sheer madness! My Foot Clan has honor! We do not attack the children and elderly as the Purple Dragons do! It is best the Foot Clan stays in power or else our city will be overrun by Satan himself!" Karai shouted, angered that Leo wasn't understanding.

"What do you want me to do about it then?" Leo asked, wishing he was elsewhere practicing his skills.

"Join my clan. Become the Shredder and crush our enemies back down to the dirt where they belong!" she said, stretching her arms out in gesture.

Leo narrowed his eyes into thin slits as he put his swords away. He said nothing and pushed past her roughly. Realizing that Leo was refusing, she had to convince him fast or else she would have another enemy to deal with. But unlike Hun, the Turtles would be ten times worse once they became wild beasts of death.

"If you refuse my offer, then you and your brothers will transform into mindless flesh-eating savages! You four will kill countless innocent lives until you are all gunned down like worthless animals! Is that what you want?" Karai yelled, getting frustrated.

She had to get him to accept or else she would be forced to somehow control them once they changed into monsters. But she didn't trust that her scientists could create the collars in time, so she'd rather keep Leo and his brothers more human than animal. They would make for better allies as civilized humanoid turtles than savage beast turtles.

She hated to have unstable control over the Turtles once they were monsters when she could have certain control over them as they were now. She preferred it if they stayed the way they were and helped her against the Purple Dragons, including a bunch of other underling gangs.

Karai really needed the Turtles' help and she knew she could get it, plus their loyalty if she gave them a cure that would stop them from transforming. Leonardo would be forced to be loyal through the code of honor this way.

"No..." Leo finally said, turning around. Karai could tell he would finally listen to reason and ordered Mondo Gecko to leave. He did so in a hurry. She waited a few moments before speaking again.

"I prefer it if you and your brothers remained as you are. I do not want the Foot Clan's blood spilled while trying to contain the beasts that rage inside all of you. Leatherhead said you Turtles could transform at any time and then the cure will be useless at that time. We would have to make a new cure, which I doubt we'd have enough time to do so." Karai said.

"It could take months and we'd have to study you in the meantime, though we have nothing to restrain you in. I know my people will be slaughtered just the same regardless once you Turtles enter into your advanced mutation stage. So please, heed me!"

"I will give you the cure. All I ask for is aid in regaining the clan's glory. Be the new Shredder. Become a force that all our enemies would dare not challenge!" Karai exclaimed.

"You're asking me to become a symbol of everything I'm against! To be your elite assassin while you get all the credit? D-mn it! Why don't you just go hang yourself?!" Leo shouted, disgusted by her. Now she had no honor too? Argh!

"What happened to your honor?" Leo asked bitterly, turning away again. She went in front of him. She would not allow him to turn his back on her.

"This is all about honor! You can create a new symbol in my father's name! Bring glory to us! It is your duty as a ninja of the Foot Clan." Karai said, angering Leo further.

"I am not part of your dishonorable clan!" Leo growled. How dare she say such a thing!

"Like it or not, you are a Foot ninja, just like me! We have both been taught in the ways of the Foot! Thus you _are_ part of my clan! We are family..." Karai said in a low tone, which sounded like doom to Leo.

Master Splinter was the leader of the Foot Clan until Shredder took over. Maybe it was Leo's fate to take back what Shredder took from Splinter...

"And we _do_ have honor!" Karai went on. "If we didn't, I wouldn't have ordered for a cure to be made for you or your brothers. I didn't have to come to help, but I did!"

"It's because you need my help, that's why. Not because you have honor and want to truly help." Leo shot back.

"Weigh your choices, Leonardo..." Karai said, frowning. "Either accept my offer or change into a killer beast with no hope or future. If you choose the latter, then you and your brothers will be extinct. Therefore I can not guarantee my clan will not gun you down to save mankind."

When Leo fell silent again, Karai spoke up. She couldn't leave without an answer.

"I doubt you want your family destroyed or to suffer in agony as they transform! I need you to tell me what you will do! Give me your answer! Will you join my clan?" Karai asked.

"According to you, I'm already part of your clan..." Leo answered disgustedly as he closed his eyes, reluctantly giving up. He really had no choice. As much as he loathed to join up with Karai, it was better than becoming mindless killer savages.

'I'm doing this for you my brothers...' Leo thought before opening his eyes again.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked, not liking this at all.

"First, kneel." Karai ordered, making Leo growl in annoyance.

"Do it!"

Angrily, Leo kneeled before her, his face twitching with rage. His pride was suffering like crazy here. Karai pulled out a hidden dagger from inside her cloak and laid the blade on Leo's right shoulder.

"Swear loyalty to me and the Foot Clan, and I will promise never to harm your family again. Become my ally and I will become yours until our deaths. Swear this oath to me!" Karai said seriously, needing him to accept.

Then she would have four powerful elite assassins in her control. In return, she would give the Turtles all her resources for them to use as they pleased. They would become her right-hand generals forever...

"I..." Leo squeezed his eyes tight as he struggled to agree. "I swear it..." He bit his tongue in detestation. "D-mn it!" he hissed under his breath. He couldn't believe this was happening!

Karai put her hand out to help him back to his feet, but it was a ploy to slash his right hand open. In a second, she split her left hand open and grabbed his cut hand hard.

"By this blood oath, you can never go back on this promise! We are bound by honor through our blood..." Karai said, satisfied now. Leo yanked his hand free and stared at her like she was insane.

"Are you crazy?! I'm going to change into a monster any day now and you want to mix our blood together?! What were you thinking?!" Leo cried, shocked by her impulsive behavior.

"I am just ensuring that you stay loyal to me. I do not care at what costs." Karai said coolly as she wrapped her wound with some long gauze she had in a pouch on her belt.

"You're absolutely insane..." Leo scowled, backing away as she tried to put her remaining gauze on his hand.

"Do not judge me, Leonardo. I have my reasons. Besides, we have a cure and I will take it just in case. I need you to come with me outside. I have much more information to give you, my friend." Karai said, walking to the balcony.

She jumped to the nearest tree and took off to another tree, going deeper into the forest. Leo unwillingly followed her until she stopped at a meadow with a clear view of the island's mountains.

Karai told Leo in great detail of what was going on in the city and the major problems she was having with Hun and his Purple Dragons gang. And how Kano was leading the Foot Clan into ruin.

"Kano?! Did you say Kano?" Leo asked, surprised.

"Yes, he is my brother." Karai said, frowning. "He wanted you Turtles destroyed, but I rather not have your brothers killed. You've proven to be worthy allies. My brother does not see things that way. He hates you for what you did to our father."

"Kameko told us about Kano and how he is her brother too. Meaning...she's the Shredder's daughter..." Leo said in disbelief. That nice turtle-loving girl was raised by the Shredder? Whoa! He wondered how the others would take this news.

"My sister and I are not against you for the death of our father. But Kano is. He is using Hun and the Purple Dragons to overthrow me. He doesn't deserve my throne, he has no honor. But he knows it's his birthright and I'm losing power to stop him." Karai explained.

"He has his men going out raiding the city every night. He attacks the innocent and the weak. As of late, the children and elderly have become his new targets. I will not let that child molester defile the Foot Clan by letting him rule!" Karai said hatefully, her fists trembling.

"Wait, did you say he's been attacking children too?" Leo asked, realizing that Kano was to blame for adulteration on May. Raph got hurt by this through April's accusations and it was all because of Kano's evil filthy ways!

"Yes, he allows his flunkies to exploit everyone. Women, children, anyone! Do you now see the urgency in this matter? We must stop Kano at all costs and reclaim the city." Karai said.

"I definitely will help you. My brother was accused of harming my friend's daughter and now he doesn't trust humans because of this. Kano's to blame for ruining everything! I can't wait to get my claws on him!" Leo snarled, kicking a large rock out of the way.

Karai saw how easily he knocked the boulder away and grinned. Kano surely would die a painful slow death at last. She felt more in control already.

"You should have told me this first instead of threatening me earlier..." Leo said irritably.

"I did not threaten, I presented an offer to you and you accepted it. I want you and I to remain allies, Leonardo. I am tired of being your part-time enemy. We can help each other more by staying allies." Karai said, stopping to sit on a stump.

"Yeah, well... If you had stopped bothering my family and quit robbing people to fund your empire, I would have stayed your ally." Leo added, leaning against a wall of rock. "It's wrong to steal, even from the rich."

"What truly is wrong is allowing my brother to continue what he is doing. We must end this as soon as you and your brothers are cured. Then we will return to the city and stop him once and for all." Karai said, then sighed heavily as if she had something else on her mind to discuss.

"What?" Leo asked since she didn't continue after a few moments of silence.

"It is Ben... Dr. Chaplin, he is constantly pressuring me to marry him..." she said, confiding in Leo. They were afterall friends, regardless of the past. Call it an honorable swordsmen relationship type thingie.

"So why don't you? He seems like an alright guy." Leo said, shrugging.

"Leonardo, you don't understand. I like him fine as a friend. I even considered being with him for the rest of my life. But lately, he's been too pushy. Always asking when we'll marry and why I don't wear his engagement ring. He just assumes I must marry him because _he_ wants me to. He doesn't seem to care what I think anymore."

"Well, that's no good. Just tell him you're not interested."

"I did! Many times! But he doesn't seem to understand. He follows me everywhere, like an annoying puppy. A ninja that is stalked by a scientist, oh! That is so embarrassing and insulting!" Karai covered her face in shame.

"He's only helping the others to disrespect my power and status. So I was hoping that you can pretend to be my lover until he gives up on me. Then I will be free of his nonsense and childish chasing." Karai said, noticing Leo's abashed expression.

"This is only pretend! Words do not seem to reach Ben, but maybe actions will..." Karai added, avoiding his eyes. She wasn't for this anymore than he was.

"Ugh!" Leo was thoroughly embarrassed. First becoming part of Karai's clan and now this! What more could his damaged pride take? Still, she didn't have to give him a cure, so he owed her some appreciation for that. He hated to owe favors.

"Alright, alright. I'll help you. But if another guy you don't like comes after you, you're on your own."

"Good. In the morning, we will be affectionate to one another only in Chaplin's presence. But do not overdo it. I want it to look real. I promise to reward you well for this." Karai said, smiling. She just knew she could control him. She might not need those mind-control collars afterall

"How do I get mixed up into these things?" Leo asked, shaking his head staring at the stars in despair. Karai smiled. It was good that Leo was still her friend after all these years.

She could confide in him well due to his strong sense of honor. It was something Chaplin had none of, yet he tried to act as if he did. It annoyed her to death. Having Leo's friendship comforted her, she really needed a friend like him now.

"I'm going back now to tell Leatherhead to proceed with creating a compatible cure for you. Just be ready tomorrow morning and remain patient. It may take some time before Chaplin finally takes a hint." Karai said and left in perfect ninja fashion.

"This is going to be a long 'vacation'..." Leo groaned, shaking his head. He went back to Kameko's home to get some sleep. He had a lot of explaining to do to his brothers, especially Raphael.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 8! (The more reviews, the faster a new chapter is posted! Will Raph give in to his newfound feelings for Lotus? How will Leo explain to the other Turtles that they are now part of the Foot Clan and have to be allies with Karai?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	8. Pro Wrestling & Meditation

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.8

* * *

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review. Chapters 8 and 9 were originally Chapter 8, but I split it up so the chapters don't get too long. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

Leo dreaded the next morning as he went to bed and when the sun started to rise, so did he. The kitchen, dining and living rooms were all connected in one big area of the mansion so it was easy to see who was in which room.

As Leo headed to the kitchen, he noticed Mikey and Kameko sleeping together on the spacious couch. It was the type of couch that could convert into a bed. Lotus was already there, drinking coffee.

Their eyes met, but this time Lotus was the first one to look away. Leo frowned and ignored her back.

He coughed loudly, clearing his throat on purpose to wake Mikey and his girlfriend up. Mikey didn't wake up, but Kameko did. She opened her eyes and got up quickly. She had to make sure all her beloved animal friends were happy.

"Leonardo! Oh, wow! I must have fell asleep on the couch watching TV. I'll make breakfast right away." she said, yawning. She loved to do whatever she could for her Turtle buddies, not just Mikey.

"Oh! Hello, Lotus. Good morning!" Kameko said cheerily. Lotus nodded, acknowledging her cash cow. "A fine morning to you too, Kameko." she replied, making sure to not look Leo's direction whatsoever.

Leo shrugged off Lotus' coldness and stopped Kameko from making food for him. He wasn't a kid, he could do it himself.

"No, no! That's ok. I can get my own breakfast." Leo said, going to the fridge. He appreciated her kindness, but it was getting to be too much.

"Certainly. I'll just get breakfast made for your brothers then." Kameko said, rushing around.

"Good morning, sister!" she said suddenly, nearly running into Karai who came from the hallway in between the kitchen and living room.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Kameko." Karai said, smiling. She always liked Kameko, regardless how hyper she was. Lots of energy was a good thing. "Donatello's been working all night, so we won't see him this morning."

"Is he alright? Is he sleeping ok? Did he get to eat the dinner I sent last night?"

"He is fine, don't worry. I fed your other turtles too. You must relax more, my sister." Karai said, in a good mood since she got Leo under her 'employment'.

"Thank you, Karai. I'll try to take it easy... AFTER I whip up a great breakfast for you guys!" Kameko giggled happily.

"What's so d-mn funny? Why don't you try laughing in this ear? I can still hear out of it!" Raph scowled, appearing from the hallway then.

"Cranky, cranky!" Kameko teased, trying to poke fun at him. Raph growled in annoyance. Then she saw his wrapped up broken hand and reached for it.

"Oh no! Raphael! You're hurt!" she cried, concerned.

"It's nothing." he said tiredly, then held his hand out of her reach as she kept trying to grab it. "Forget it! I said it was nothing! Jeez, take a hint Lady! I'm fine! Go away!"

"Raph, she's just trying to help." Leo said in all-wise big brother fashion.

"Yeah, well I don't want her help! Tell her to back off! I've broken lots of bones before, so big hairy deal!" Raph shouted.

"Are you sure you're alright, Raphael?" Lotus asked, taking his broken hand into hers. Leo noticed how Raph didn't yank away viciously or act hostile as he usually did.

He seemed to blush while Lotus held his hand as he shyly moved away. Leo never saw his younger brother act like that before. Something was up between him and Lotus.

"I'm fine." Raph said in a less rough and gruff tone, looking at Lotus for a second before hurrying off to the couch so he could get in some TV time for once. When he learned Kameko's satellite TV got all the good movie and pro wrestling channels, he wanted to check them out.

Leo didn't like those sweet looks Lotus was giving to Raph and crossed his arms as he felt jealous again. Hmph! Then, Lotus looked at Leo.

He narrowed his eyes at her, giving a long mean glare before he scoffed contemptuously. Lotus could tell Leo was jealous and she was hurting him like she wanted, but she didn't feel good from it.

So, he did still have feelings for her! But she felt she might have scorned him too much and he probably wouldn't take her back. If you hurt his pride, you'd better watch out!

Maybe she could be happier with Raphael now that she had broken his defenses down. She began to think things wouldn't work out between her and Leo now that she was somewhat fond of Raphael.

Raph accidentally sat on Mikey, causing him to scream a high-pitched shriek. Raph scowled as he kicked at his baby brother to get him off the sofa bed and scolded him for being in his way.

"Move it, Mikey! I'm gonna miss the match of the century if you don't get your big fat shell out of the way!" he complained, giving Mikey a final kick. Raph grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, switching it to the right channel quickly.

Soon, the rooms were filled with the horrific sounds of pro wrestling catcalling and Leo found it too noisy to stand. Mikey of course happily stayed to watch the TV since he liked wrestling second to video games.

Lotus disappeared to the library and no one noticed, except Leo. He left so he could have a 'talk' with Lotus. Karai followed Leo since she also disliked such noise.

But her adopted sister did and stayed with Raph and Mikey to watch the match. Kameko told Mikey to save it on her DVR and made some fast breakfast so she could watch too.

Raph was too absorbed into the match to noticed the disgusting snuggling Mikey and Kameko were doing right next to him as they sat on the sofa bed (which was converted back to a regular couch then).

One wrestler with a metal chair snuck up on two brawling wrestlers to knock out the enemy. BAM! Down went the wrestler and the crowd booed, throwing popcorn and trash.

"Oohh, _**YEAH!**_ Chair action! Don't hit him once! Hit him _again_! No, turn _around_, you d-mn moron! He's gonna hit _you_ with that freakin' chair now! Ahh, no! You dirty bastard!!" Raph shouted, getting into the match.

"Ninja-kick that scum! Come on, don't let that guy do that to your bro! Get up, get up!!" Mikey screamed, stamping his feet and waving his arms as he sat.

Kameko smiled happily. This was so fun! The guy that didn't get hit by the chair made sure the other two did until he 'won'. Onto the next match. Two practically topless female wrestlers went into the ring, hurling insults at each other.

"A hussy match! B-tchin'!" Raph said, mindlessly eating the cereal Kameko brought for him as he continued to watch.

"Would you look at the size of those! Huge as all h-ll!" Mikey cried, drooling like a typical fanboy. Kameko didn't take any of that seriously and laughed. Such silly males.

One lady wrestler in a pink outfit grabbed the other girl in a gold outfit by the hair and proceeded to make her bald. The Gold fighter right-hooked Pinky in the face hard. She fell to the mat and Goldie repetitively kicked Pinky in the face.

Their breasts jumped and jiggled about, exciting the Turtles and causing them to shout their comments even louder.

"No Pinky! Save yourself! Don't let Tit-less Goldie do that to you! Stay beautiful! Nooo!" Mikey cried.

"Yeahhh-haha! Beat the ever-living snot outta her, Goldie! Kill that b-tch! Kill her! She _needs_ to die! All-RIGHT!!! Right in the gut!" Raph shouted.

Kameko happily rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling. 'I love turtles...' she thought.

* * *

When Leo noticed Karai following him, he abandoned his plans to talk with Lotus. Instead, he went outside to get away from all that noise from the TV.

He went to the gardens where it was peaceful and quiet. He bent down on the fancy stoned ground, which was in the shape and colors of a turtle.

Sitting in the middle of the design, Leo took a deep breath and tried to calm his mind by meditating. But with Karai there, it wasn't easy. He had to pretend to love her should Chaplin appear. How distracting!

Of course, he liked Karai alright. On the outside, he said she was just a friend, even though at times he harbored some feelings for her deep down inside.

He dismissed those feelings since he thought he cared for Lotus more and he feared he may fall into the trap of loving two women at the same time.

Such an act was beyond dishonorable. He dared not let his heart stray in such a horrid disgusting low way. It was either one girl or nobody and that was it.

Leo really didn't like how Karai wanted him to pretend to be her lover just to deter Chaplin. He wished he hadn't said yes to it before, but it was too late now.

He only said yes since he didn't mind helping Karai and he thought he could ignore his feelings for her while testing himself to see how loyal his feelings were to Lotus.

But after witnessing that show between Lotus and Raph, Leo felt his so-called loyal feelings for Lotus migrating to Karai. Should he fight for Lotus? Or should he just move on to his next love interest?

Feeling indecisive, Leo couldn't decide. Would it be ok to just let Lotus go to Raph and allow his younger brother to have the type of happiness he hardly got to savor? Or should he win Lotus back?

Leo hated to hear that little voice in his mind telling him how Lotus wasn't worth it since she was without honor. But he couldn't just throw her away. He knew she liked him, but he wasn't too sure for Karai. She was harder to read compared to Lotus.

He wished he had more time to think this over before he agreed to it the night before. He had been totally rushed into making important decisions and it irked him.

He was hoping meditation would give him some answers, but he couldn't do any reflecting with _her_ there.

Leo didn't welcome Karai's presence as she sat next to him then. Sighing, he gave her an irritated stare. She glared back, not backing down.

"Remember what you need to do. I told Chaplin to meet me here by pager. He should be here any moment. We must act as if we're lovers before he gets here. I want to shock him." she said, linking her arm through Leo's and snuggling against him.

Leo heaved a sigh as he leaned his head on hers. How stupid was this! If his brothers saw this, he'd never hear the end of it. He knew what they would say. He could almost hear Mikey's voice teasing him to death.

_ "Ooo! Karai's the new lady, eh? I thought you said you were just friends! So when's the wedding? How many kids are you gonna have? Name one of them after me, your beloved baby bro, Mikey! Hahahaa!"_

"You're like a wooden post! Loosen up!" Karai hissed, whacking his shoulder.

"Hey! Stop telling me what to do!" Leo frowned. He agreed to aid her, not be a slave. It was hard enough not to entertain the feelings he had for her...feelings he had locked up for years.

"You said you would help, so do it!" she snapped back.

"I am!" Leo scowled, pulling her into his lap and hugging her. Karai hadn't been around him for so long that she had nearly forgotten how strong he really was. He easily picked her up like a paper doll there. And he was crushing her. Whacking his shoulder again, she let him know.

"You're crushing me!" she whispered angrily. Leo sighed wearily and loosened his grip. He widened his eyes as he felt her moist lips against his neck then.

"What are you doing?" Leo cried, shocked. Did this mean something?

"Lovers kiss and so must we. I am getting in some practice." Karai said, burying her face into his chest.

She would need to French kiss Leo eventually to hopefully deter Chaplin for good. She had always felt something in her heart for the blue masked terrapin warrior, but feared her clan would disown her as their leader should she love their enemy. (But she devised a plan on how to make her clan accept Leonardo by convincing the Foot that he was one of them.)

So she went on, trying to forget about Leonardo and forced herself to accept Chaplin as a lover. But over time she learned they were simply not compatible. She found Chaplin as an annoying fan boy than a deep serious lover.

She did not want to give her heart to such a man who acted like a silly boy and yearned for a strong man with a warrior's heart and soul. Leonardo was such a man, but he was a mutant turtle creature.

What kind of future would they have together? He was half animal and she feared she would be judged with much hatred. She may be killed just for following the true feelings of her heart. But she couldn't deny herself any longer.

Leonardo was the one she had always wanted, but after scorning him and his family for years, she doubted he would return any feelings to her. She tried reading him many times before, but he was just too mysterious to figure out what was going on inside his mind.

When she had learned her dear Leonardo was going to transform into a mindless beast, she had to save him. She dared not lose such an honorable warrior. He would be useful as an ally against Kano and she could finally get a chance to tell him how she really felt.

Suddenly, Karai saw Chaplin coming into the gardens and made her move. She playfully rubbed her nose into Leo's beak, giving him a very impressive loving look of endearment.

Leo was struck by her gentle sweet gaze and loving smile that he felt those locked away feelings inside him trying to break free. Did...did this mean she had feelings for him all this time?

Before Leo could do anything, Karai kissed his snout quickly and nuzzled her face into his neck. It was like a forgotten dream come true! This sure didn't seem like pretend to him... Numbly, he hugged her back as Chaplin angrily made his way over to them.

Chaplin refused to believe what he saw and asked Karai why she wanted to talk to him. She acted surprised, appearing like she was 'caught' being together with Leo.

She went back to being all business-like and dragged a bewildered Chaplin away. Once he was alone again, Leo fell backwards on his back and stared at the clear blue sky, feeling a full range of mixed emotions.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why'd I ever agree to this insanity? Why...?!' Leo thought, clutching his head in despair. He couldn't have feelings for Lotus AND Karai! That was beyond crazy! He didn't have such dishonor in him, did he?

He thought back all the years before where he and Karai flirted off and on, but that's all it was, playing around. He didn't expect her to take much heart to their sly flirtation, knowing the type of person she was.

Karai was too busy with the Foot Clan Empire to dabble much in relationships. Leo saw their flirting as an exciting sword fight played out with words and body language.

Who would win this time and next time, that's what made Leo continue on that game with Karai. He enjoyed showing Karai that he was a cunning force to be reckoned with. The alpha Turtle you just can't hope to topple. Period.

Leo decided to continue to ignore these feelings for Karai until he knew what to do about Lotus. Plus, Karai had to prove herself to him anyway. He had to know how she truly felt about him before he made any definite decisions. He took a calming breath and began to meditate then.

Later on, Leo and Karai saw each other again briefly throughout the rest of the day, but conversed on the upcoming mission to stop Kano and Hun. Karai was coming up with new strategy plans against Kano's 'hidden' empire and gave Leo the layout plans of her defenses.

Chaplin saw them together talking and he didn't know what to think. He saw what he saw earlier, but it was too hard for him to accept. Karai could not really like that Turtle beast, it just didn't make any sense! He was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.

* * *

The next morning, Karai met Leo in the gardens outside again and praised him for a job well done. To reward him, she offered to spar with him. It pleased him and hoped things would be like this more between them.

Then he could try to really forget those locked away feelings he had for her and concentrate on more important things like swords and fighting.

They drew their blades and took fighting stances. Karai attacked first as she charged at him. Leo dodged her attack and slammed her swords down with his katanas.

She slid them free before he could knock them from her hands from sheer force and backed up. Leo went on the assault, slashing his katanas viciously at her while she blocked the best she could.

She was able to attack back, but Leo sent one of her swords flying away into a dense flower bed. He crossed his blades at her neck in a threatening manner.

She slipped her remaining sword up in front of her throat, using the hilt to push open Leo's crossed blades. He stepped back and she wasted no time in attacking again.

Karai swung her sword downwards, slicing a bit too deep into Leo's plastron. He cried out as he recoiled in discomfort and inspected the damage for a moment.

Narrowing his eyes, he counter-attacked her in a split-second. His katana smashed into her lone sword and she lost her grip on it. He did a leg sweep and knocked her flat on her back. Then his blade at her neck in less than a second.

He positioned the katana's cutting edge at her jugular vein as he pressed the metal against her skin. Karai raised her hands to applaud him. This was good, very good. He hadn't lost his touch in sword fighting whatsoever.

"You always beat me." Karai said, not really minding that she lost the sparring match. She did manage to cut three rows of his scutes, that was something at least. If she had a metal battle suit on, Leonardo would have lost instead.

He helped her back onto her feet and sheathed his swords. Karai noticed blood leaking from Leo's cut scutes and offered to aid in cleaning his wounds.

"No, it's ok. I can take care of this little scratch myself." Leo said, holding his chest where the cut was deeper. Karai had to make sure her beloved friend wasn't going to get infected by this injury, so she insisted on helping.

"It is not a 'little' scratch, Leonardo!" Karai cried, not wanting to be blamed if he did get infected and fall ill from it. She needed all four Turtles in her war against Kano and Hun.

"You and I are allies. I must help you so you can help me. Now do not protest and come with me." Karai ordered. Leo frowned. He really hated taking orders, especially since he was a leader himself.

But maybe this was a real sign that Karai liked him back? Chaplin wasn't there then so she didn't need to act so kind to him. He wasn't sure, but instead of making a big fuss about it, he obeyed. No sense in acting stubborn.

Afterall, allies...friends are supposed to help each other out. There's nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 9!  
****I'd really appreciate more reviews, so ****_please_**** let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks!**** :)**

**(Does Karai secretly care for Leo or is she just using him? Will Leo's brothers go along with being part of the Foot Clan or will they refuse to go along with any of Karai's plans? Will the terrapin warriors receive their cure in time?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	9. Leatherhead Warns Don

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.9

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review. Chapters 8 and 9 were originally Chapter 8, but I split it up so the chapters don't get too long. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

That evening, Raph and Mikey were glued to Kameko's 65 inched plasma TV screen while watching an eight hour marathon of horror movies. From slashers to thrillers, there was plenty of gore, violence, and sex per movie.

Leo sat behind the couch, observing the slasher flicks since they were more his type of horror films. Raph also liked such films, but he didn't care for those with monstrous animals doing mass butchering.

"Ugh! Where do they come up with this stuff?" Raph complained as a movie about furry monster critters eating humanity finally ended. Those stupid critter movies, they were almost insulting!

"Well, maybe a bunch of squirrels attacked the guy who thought it up. I'd sure hate squirrels if they ganged up on me like those brown buggers did in that flick! I'd ninja-kick their furry butts all the way back to the forest! Yay!" Mikey shouted, hyper from drinking and eating tons of sugary junk food products.

"Ooo! Lookie! A mad scientist slasher movie! I'll go get Donnie!" Mikey screamed, jumping up and about to storm down to the lab.

"Nope, forget it. Don hates horrors where the scientist is the killer." Raph reminded him, eating spaghetti and meatballs with tons of 'bloody' tomato sauce.

"Oh yeah. Hehee! That's because he thinks he'll end up as a mad scientist psycho if he watches that stuff. He'll get ideas, haha ha ha!" Mikey laughed and promptly got a whack from the back of the head.

"OW! Leo!" Mikey cried, holding his skull. He didn't have to hit him THAT hard!

"Respect your brother, Mikey. All of us." Leo said, frowning. Mikey made a face, but moved over so Leo could sit with them.

The movie started out with a timid scientist getting put down by his colleagues to the point where he goes insane and wants to destroy them all. He went pretty much postal and killed everyone in the laboratories. Then he headed for the city to where his insulting (now dead) colleagues' families lived so he could get rid of them too.

Leo was glad Don didn't see it since the scientist in the story was someone that Don could easily relate to. The next movie was a chainsaw massacre type horror with victims trying to escape in the dark while being lost in the woods.

The bloody gore effects were too CGI for Raph and he complained how fake it looked. He knew what the real thing looked like way back in his teen years. Mikey agreed, beginning to grow tired of horrors. It was videogame time!

"Yeah, this movie does stink, Raph. Come on, let's go play something on Wii. I bet I can beat your shell off at Justice SmashForce!" he said, grinning.

"You're on, Mikey!" Raph simply said. No broken hand was going to slow him down on an easy Wii game such as that!

Leo was about to remind them to train early tomorrow morning, but figured he'd give Raph time to heal first. Plus, their advanced mutation may speed up if they engaged in aggressive training. This was their 'vacation' besides.

"Don't stay up all night playing, you two!" Leo called after them as his younger brothers ran off.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your mask in a knot, Leo. We know!" Raph said, disappearing to the rec room with a still hyper giggling Mikey.

"I'll be checking up on you, so be asleep when I do!" Leo yelled and rolled his eyes when they both said in unison, "Yes, Mommy!"

"Ugh, they're hopeless..!" Leo said under his breath and gave some attention to the knife slasher movie playing then. He pulled out both his swords and got a cloth to shine them with while he listened to the movie.

Leo didn't get frightened or bothered by seeing humans getting sliced up or hacked away. Especially not in movies where the murders were all fake.

To him it was like watching a documentary of lions hunting zebras. Sure it was a bit unsettling at times, but Leo was pretty much desensitized to such things. Most warriors were afterall.

Karai made her presence known as she came over to Leo and sat next to him on the couch. She expressed her exhaustion from a day's worth of extra defense planning.

She could not afford to lose more of her members of the Foot whatsoever, not even a few. So she had to triple her defenses and make several backup plans just in case.

"Long day, huh?" Leo asked, polishing his katana with much care. Karai stretched and groaned, covering a hand over her face. He sure could say that again! Leo turned the TV off so he could listen to her instead.

"I want to believe that my plans are good enough as they are now, but I fear that Kano will find a way to ruin them. I can not lose any of my members in the upcoming war. I'm low on loyal fighters as it is. I am going to strengthen my plans more so tomorrow. I can not take any chances." she explained, peeking between her fingers.

"You've shined those blades at least ten times today." she remarked, giving a small laugh. "You'll wear the metal away."

"I like seeing myself in them, that's all." Leo said, finding nothing wrong with polishing his 'babies'. Karai smirked.

"You'll need to clean them many more times once we fight Kano and Hun. I will not be taking any prisoners..." she hinted and didn't like that disagreeable look on his face then.

"You had better not show any mercy to Kano's forces!" she warned him, glaring. "I am counting on you and your brothers to destroy his army so I can reclaim the city. Don't even think about disappointing me!"

"Don't think of Kano's men as human beings! They harm women, children, the elderly! You must kill as many as you can so Kano's forces will be weakened and my reputation restored back to power!" Karai said, grabbing his forearm.

"I'd rather have them rot in jail, than kill them all..." Leo began.

"You promised to be my ally in this! You swore to it by your honor and by blood!" Karai hissed, getting angry then. He couldn't back out of this! He had to stay as her ultimate weapon against her enemies otherwise she would lose the war.

"Look, I said I would help you. I just don't agree with your methods on how to win this war. Killing Kano is one thing, but I don't wish to force my brothers to murder so needlessly. But I suppose we have no choice..." Leo said, not pleased on this.

He hadn't told his brothers yet that they were now Foot Clan employees. He wasn't too eager to find out how they would take it and already knew Raph would blow up at him as soon as he told him they were Karai's forever allies.

"There are never choices in war, Leonardo. You either live or die. I strive to live and I know you do too. Stay by my side as my right-hand general and win this war with me. I will grant you all the Foot Clan Empire resources in exchange for your services. Not to mention the permanent cure for your advanced mutation as well. You stand much to gain here." Karai said.

"No, only you do, Karai." Leo said, giving her a touchy look. Again their differences made him temporarily push aside his tender feelings for her.

"I'm only helping you because Kano is my enemy too. If I wasn't your ally, you'd have two big adversaries to deal with so you had to strike some kind of deal with me. You might think you 'bought' me, but you're wrong." Leo scowled, looking away for a moment before making eye contact with Karai once more.

"Once this war is over, that's it. We'll stay allies, but my brothers and I won't be your slaves. Just so you know that ahead of time." Leo added, sheathing his swords and stood up. He turned to leave, but Karai stopped him by getting in front of him.

"We'll discuss this later, Leonardo. You seem to have issues on obeying me correctly. Just remember it is I who is generously creating the cure you and your brothers desperately need to stay civilized. You can not afford to be so full of pride at a time like this. Just a word of advice, _my friend_." Karai said almost in a threatening manner.

Leo narrowed his eyes and said nothing as he pushed past her. Ugh! She was trying to control him already! It disgusted him to no end. Oh well, after the war against Kano was won, he wouldn't have to take any more of her orders. Or so he thought...

* * *

For days now, Donatello was busy working with Leatherhead on a compatible cure for his brothers' advanced mutation problem. But Leatherhead had to leave, saying he had to return to his lab at home.

"I don't want my experiments to go to ruin, Donatello. I've given all I know on this and you should be able to create the cure without me. If you need any help, Dr. Chaplin and his colleagues will assist you." Leatherhead said, feeling bad that he wasn't allowed to tell him that Karai was making him leave.

She wanted him to take Mondo Gecko back to New York and continue to create control collars for the Turtles. She had made a deal with Bishop to give Leatherhead all the labs and resources he needed to do whatever he pleased in the name of science.

Bishop even agreed to give Leatherhead a high standing job as his elite scientist, in charge of all experiments. As much as he hated to work for Bishop, he knew he could keep an eye on him and his sneaky harmful operations, even control them.

This would keep the world safe somewhat from Bishop's insane missions, but it came at a heavy price. Leatherhead decided he would make the collars, but have a fail safe device in each so the Turtles could regain their freedom just the same.

Plus, the fail safe devices would make the collars look like they didn't work on their own, not that they were set up to malfunction on purpose. Karai assured Leatherhead that she wouldn't let Bishop control the Turtles, but he didn't believe her.

He didn't want any of those stinking humans controlling his reptilian friends. But he could pretend to go along with this so he could gain a close watch on Bishop undetected. Stockman finally was gone by a freak accident and Bishop was furious.

That was why he agreed to have Leatherhead as his top scientist in the first place, to replace Stockman. The crocodile-man knew he would tell his terrapin friends of the collars, but only when he could meet them in absolute secrecy.

He would let them know how to deactivate them. Leatherhead was sure Karai would use these collars on the Turtles even if they didn't go into advanced mutation stages. Karai could not be trusted whatsoever.

"I understand, Leatherhead. I really appreciate what you've done so far for us. I just don't know how to thank you enough. With the information you gave me and Kameko's lab, plus Dr. Chaplin's help, I'll have that cure in no time." Don said, patting Leatherhead's massive muscular shoulder.

"Just be sure to look me up when you get home. I have an experiment I'd like to show you later." Leatherhead said, while scribbling down something on a pad of paper.

Don looked to what he was writing and saw it said, _'Being forced to create mind-control collars for all of you by order of Karai and Bishop. Contact me in secret when back in New York'_.

Don nodded his head in understanding as Leatherhead turned on a Bunsen burner to destroy the note. He did it just in time as Karai came in, followed by Chaplin.

"Your ride home is ready, Leatherhead. You will be compensated well for your troubles." Karai said. Don hid his distrust and patted Leatherhead on his shoulder again.

"Goodbye, my friend. Thanks again for all your help." Don said, watching his worried friend leave. Karai looked at Don and handed him a USB stick.

"This is additional info you will find useful, Donatello." Karai said. He took it from her roughly, igniting instant anger from Chaplin.

"How dare you snatch that from her in such an _uncivil_ manner, you dirty terrapin freak of nature!" Ben cried, raising his fist.

He had about enough of these biped turtle creatures. For the last five days, he had seen the leader of the Turtles getting close to his Karai. It disgusted him to no end and he was going to fight for her, no matter what!

"How _dare_ you say that to me?! I'm a scientist! You can't 'talk' that way to me!" Don cried, appalled. Didn't Chaplin know that Don was a lot smarter than him? Why his IQ was way over six hundred!

The nerve of that idiot! Don held his pride as a scientist very highly and expected to have respect from other scientists, even if they were humans.

"Silence, Chaplin! You shall not speak that way to a fellow scientist! I don't want any of the Turtles to become upset! You know that speeds up their advanced mutation! I do NOT want them to transform before the cure is ready." Karai said, purposely taking Don's side to hopefully get Chaplin to not like her anymore.

But it only fueled Chaplin's hatred for the Turtles. Why Karai wanted that crocodile beast to make control collars for her was beyond him. He was almost finished making the first set of collars himself. And he planned to use them at the right time...

"Fellow scientist?" Chaplin scoffed, his prejudice growing. "He's just a stupid savage reptile! He's not an highly evolved human like you or I! He's worse than that stupid walking handbag you just sent back to New York!"

Don barely could hold himself back for the insults to himself, but when Chaplin insulted poor decent Leatherhead, Don snapped. He rammed the man against the wall with his claws around the man's throat as he held him up off the floor.

"**APOLOGIZE!!!**" Don roared, growling. Chaplin was frozen with fear and the look on his face made Don realize that Ben was right. He was becoming a savage beast...again!

"I-...I didn't mean to..." Don stammered, letting go of Chaplin. Karai ordered Ben to leave. Don sat in a chair as he felt terrible.

He had to be really careful otherwise he would mutate and without him to create the cure, his brothers would be doomed. He couldn't let them down. Leatherhead could only do so much.

Since the Turtles' DNA was so vastly different than the last time, it would take Leatherhead too much time to recreate a totally new cure. Only Don could do it sooner with more better lasting results.

The advanced mutation this time around was five times worse than the previous one. And that alone scared the heck out of Don.

Leatherhead's vicious rage would be like a baby sleeping in a crib compared to the new mutation savagery the Turtles now faced. Their lust to destroy and kill would be immeasurable!

"Donatello, I will bring Chaplin's best student in here as soon as I can. You can rest until they arrive." Karai said as she tried to get Don to lie down on a patient bed. He pushed her away, knowing she had control collars in store for him and his brothers later.

"I can get to the bed by myself. Thanks." Don said, trying hard to keep his ill-will under wraps. He watched her leave and sighed in relief. He really didn't like her for anything.

Another strange thing was that, Don noticed Lotus was hanging around Raph a lot. Plus, Karai was with Leo a lot too. Naturally Kameko was with Mikey in private and who knew what they were doing. Don preferred not to know.

For the past days, Don was feeling left out, though he didn't realize how lonely he was until he really thought about it. His brothers were spending most of their time alone with the ladies while Don was slaving away to find a cure for them all.

'I don't have time for relationships anyway.' Don thought as he went back to work. 'I've got too much work to do besides. I like being alone. I can think better without anyone bothering me.'

As much as he tried to convince himself that he enjoyed being alone, it wasn't doing much for him now. Why did everyone have somebody, but him?

'Well...it would be nice to have someone to talk to other than my brothers... Of whom I hardly get to see anymore.' Don thought shaking his head. As he was typing away at the computer, a pretty young lady came in.

"Hello. Karai sent me to help you, mister. I am Rose." the lady said, walking to him and putting her hand out as a greeting. Don got out of his chair and shook hands with her.

She wasn't afraid of what Don was since she had helped with many Foot Clan experiments, all which desensitized her to the world of abnormal.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Rose. I'm Donatello, but you can call me Don." he said, smiling. She seemed to be a nice person. Splinter taught them how to figure out if someone was dangerous or not. Rose looked to be decent enough.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Don. What can I help you with? That is if you need my assistance." she offered, smiling back. Don told her what instruments he needed, using terms most wouldn't understand. But Rose did and it pleasantly surprised him.

They worked on creating the cure until lunchtime. Don was intrigued when she asked if she could eat lunch with him. He had to ask her something.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked as they walked to the kitchen.

"Not at all. I've worked in the Foot Labs for years and I've seen creatures that make you look perfectly normal. Personally, I think you are really nice and kind, Don. I can't see why Chaplin hates you terrapins. I suppose he's simply jealous. You're so intelligent and strong. I have a new respect for turtles because of you." Rose gushed, believing Don was a scientific marvel.

"It's sure nice to be praised instead of being feared. Thank you, Rose. You made me one happy Turtle." Don said, liking her. She was smart and respectful, someone he could talk to as he normally did without needing to 'dumb' down his words so she could understand.

Yes indeed, he liked this Rose a lot.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 10!  
****I'd really appreciate more reviews, so ****_please_**** let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks!**** :)**

**(Does Karai secretly care for Leo or is she just using him? Will Leo's brothers go along with being part of the Foot Clan or will they refuse to go along with any of Karai's plans? Will the terrapin warriors receive their cure in time?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	10. Shiatsu & Karai Almost Mutates

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.10

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All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

The next day after Leatherhead left, Raph went out into the forest to train by himself. One broken hand wasn't going to stop him from working out and he wouldn't be caught dead losing his edge.

He knew Lotus was following him throughout the morning as he threw punches and kicks at the walls of rocks close to Kameko's mansion.

As silly as it sounded, he was hoping his workout appeared impressive to her. Leo wasn't the only one who could show off his skills afterall. Eventually, she dropped from her hiding place in the branches and landed gracefully near Raph.

"Isn't unwise to train so hard with such an injury?" Lotus asked, a sly twinkle in her eyes. Raph forcefully swung his leg out and successfully brought down a tall wall of rock.

After it came crashing down, Raph scoffed and grinned. "My legs and other arm ain't broken. Besides, even if they were, I'd still kick the shell out of these rocks. I'm no slouch."

"You certainly aren't..." Lotus said, flipping locks of raven hair over her shoulder. Raph kept smashing down the rocks around him into crumbly powder.

Then he accidentally 'forgot' about his broken hand and used it against a large boulder. He cried out in terrible discomfort and Lotus was at his side instantly, looking very concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asked, worried. She held his right hand and he tried to stop her from grabbing so much. As their hands touched, they froze and stared at each other.

"I'm...fine." Raph finally said after a moment of silence. He turned away and went back to training, but it wasn't as heartfelt as before.

Lotus felt strange. Why would she feel so uneasy over their hands touching? She had kissed him more than once already. Although she did want to win Raph's heart, she did not think she would fall for him too. At least, not this much.

Raph stopped to grab his right shoulder as it began to ache then. He groaned in annoyance as he tried to ease the pain with his left hand, which was bleeding from smashing rocks.

Lotus hurried up behind him and he turned while backing away at the same time. "I said I'm fine." he grumbled, not wanting any help. She roughly knocked his left hand away from his shoulder and reached out to perform shiatsu.

She began massaging Raph's right shoulder. He nearly pulled away, but decided not to since it felt good. Her gentle, yet strong hands were alleviating to his sore muscles.

Lotus kept massaging halfway down his arm, then back up to his shoulder. Raph closed his eyes and murmured soft sounds of relief. He knelt down as she stood behind him, massaging both his shoulders then.

"Uhh, man..." Raph whispered, tilting his head forward as Lotus worked on the back of his neck. This was bliss! He really was enjoying this. It had been a long while since he felt this relaxed.

Lotus bent down and then Raph leaned his head back right into her breasts. He pulled away in shame, blushing. Lotus' cheeks grew red as she pulled away too.

"Sorry about that..." Raph said, embarrassed even though he liked what just happened.

"It is alright. I shouldn't have...gotten so close..." Lotus said shyly, avoiding his eyes. Raph stood up and took her hand into his. She looked up into his warm caramel brown eyes.

"You can get close to me all you want." he said, smiling. She grinned back as she welcomed his sweet embrace and gentle nuzzling. Tender kisses followed soon after.

Hidden by the trees, Leo watched them from a distance with his teeth and fists clenched tightly...

* * *

Later that night, the Turtle brothers got ready for bed. They slept in the same room still, though Mikey was often missing. He was usually found at the sofa bed with Kameko in the mornings.

But this night, Mikey was with his brothers. Don had a temporary 'just-in-case' cure that he wanted them all to take right away.

He would need to work more to create a permanent cure later. This temp one would ease his troubled mind in the meantime.

After he gave himself and his brothers all a shot, Mikey tried to hurry off to the sofa bed. Leo stopped him and told him to give Kameko some alone time for once.

"But she loves me! She enjoys being with me every waking moment! She can't live without me! **_I_** can't live without her!" Mikey cried, whining.

"Everyone needs alone time, Mikey. She won't say anything because she doesn't want to upset you. Just leave her be for tonight, ok? Besides I have something important to tell all of you in the morning. Let's get some sleep." Leo said, bedding down.

Raph held his sore shoulder in discomfort. The dumb pain was back with a vengeance. It sure would be nice to have Lotus massage him again.

Oh well, he would have to wait until morning for that. He knew Leo wouldn't be none too happy to have him being chummy to Lotus, especially after Raph was so hostile and against her before.

Raph narrowed his eyes and groaned as he rubbed his shoulder and neck. Leo eyed him strangely and asked disgustedly, "What's wrong now?"

"My muscles ache, that's all." Raph snapped back, frowning.

"Next time, don't punch rocks with your broken hand..." Leo scowled, before he turned away from Raph as he laid down. Raph was surprised by that surly reply. Was...was he spying on him and Lotus?

Hmph. It seemed like Leo was jealous or something. Yeah, well, it about time Leo knew what it was like to see someone else having the girl for a change.

'Jerk.' Raph thought bitterly as he angrily slammed his head into his pillow. 'What's his problem? Just because Lotus is through being with him doesn't make it my fault.'

Plus, Raph remembered seeing Leo with Karai more often than not. 'Just friends, huh? Friends my shell!' he thought, annoyed. They were much more than just friends. Just the other day, Raph could have sworn he saw Leo kissing Karai.

But they were too far away down the hallway and they went around the corner a second after Raph saw them. Leo couldn't want both Karai and Lotus!

Not only was that wrong, but unfair too! Shouldn't he or his other brothers have a chance with the ladies? Why did they all have to go after stupid Leo anyway?

It was about time Lotus came to her senses and noticed someone better, namely Raph. He shouldn't be given such ill-will by Leo for Lotus dumping him. It wasn't his fault that Lotus finally wised up.

Raph groaned as his right shoulder and arm hurt him again. Rubbing it, he grit his teeth. It sure would be hard as shell to get to sleep. But after a long while, Raph was finally drifting off into a nice sleep when suddenly, there was a frantic knocking at their door.

"ERUGH! Can't a Turtle get any d-mn sleep around here?!" he shouted, jolting the others out of their slumber. Mikey screamed his patent girlish shriek and fell out of his bed with a thud. Don threw his covers off and stood up.

"_Raph!_" Leo warned, getting out of bed quickly to beat the crud out of him when Rose opened the door looking frightened.

"What is it, Rose?" Don asked, going to her and holding her shaking hands.

"I-I'm sorry for disturbing, you four, but-but..." she stammered.

"What, Rose? Tell us!" Don cried, worried.

"Donatello, there's something wrong with Miss Karai! She's...changing..." Rose said, her words sending doom through Leo. Karai must be mutating! Why did she have to force that blood oath on him?!

"You've got to come quick and help her! Chaplin's trying to keep her calm in the lab, but he can't fix whatever is wrong with her! This has been going on for hours, but now she's screaming in pain and won't stop! Please, help her!" Rose continued.

Before Don could go out the door, Leo was halfway down the stairs towards the lab. Raph noticed this with a bitter smirk. 'He really does care more for that loony b-tch...' he thought as he followed the others.

"Is she like going all weird and yucky? Is she gooey? At all?" Mikey asked, getting disturbed.

"Jeez! Mikey, can't you talk your age?" Raph complained, not liking Mikey's choice of words. He often considered them 'babyish'.

"Hey, I'll be a kid at heart forever, even when I'm a hundred years old, so NYAH!" Mikey shot back, sticking his tongue out on purpose. Raph growled, shaking his head. What an idiot!

"No, she still looks normal. She just keeps screaming in pain now. You can help her, right, Donatello?" Rose asked.

"I'll see what I can do. How'd this happen? Did she take anything strange? Medicine or something?" Don asked.

Leo stopped at the foot of the stairs that led to the lab and answered Don's question.

"My blood is inside her." Leo said, causing an uproar from the others.

"Huh?!" Don cried, baffled.

"WHAT?!" Mikey shrieked.

"What the shell are you talking about, Leo?!" Raph shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "How in the world did your blood get inside her? What did you two do?!"

"You guys didn't, like you know...have se-" Mikey tried to say, but Leo cut him off.

"**_Don't_** be ridiculous!" he snapped, glaring. "I'll explain it to you all later. Right now, Don has to cure Karai before she mutates into something..."

Don rushed into the lab to find it in disarray. Chaplin had smashed up a lot of things looking for a fast 'fix-n-cure-all' to this dilemma. Karai had vomited all over the place and Mikey refused to enter the lab due to this.

He stayed by the open doors and watched. Raph didn't care about a little spit on the floor so he went in. Leo already had the quaking suffering Karai in his arms. Don expressed his upset annoyance as he pushed aside Chaplin from the computer.

"Get away from that! I have to cure her!!!" Chaplin cried. "She contracted a hideous disease from you filthy terrapins, I just know it! How dare you monsters make her sick?!"

"Look what you did to my lab, Chaplin! You're not helping, so step aside! I have to analyze the situation here!" Don shot back, doing his best to ignore the man's accusations. He had much work to do. He got a clean syringe and went to Karai.

"Hold her still." Don said, as Leo nodded numbly. He kept Karai from shaking like mad as Don took a blood sample. He went back to the computer table and put the blood on a glass slide to look under a microscope.

"Lee-Leon... Leonardo..." Karai rasped, trembling so hard in agony that her teeth chattered.

"I told you how dangerous that blood oath would be..." Leo scolded softly. Karai began to cough and puked onto Leo's left side. He didn't care though, he just wanted Don to find a cure for her and fast.

"Didn't you take any of that cure earlier?" Leo asked and was struck with horror and rage as she shook her head.

She had kept this info from Chaplin on purpose so she could gain Leo's turtle power. She believed the longer she kept his mutated turtle DNA inside her, she could obtain the uncanny strengths from it.

"Why not?!" he cried, upset with her.

"I...I want your vigor...Leonardo... I want...to become...stronger..so I can...destroy my enemies!" she choked out and held him close as she fought hard not to be overcome by the fresh wave of ungodly throe.

"Don, she never took any of that cure Leatherhead made for Gecko! Give it to her, it should work fine!" Leo ordered.

"But Leo, we can't be certain-"

"**I SAID GIVE IT TO HER NOW!!!**" Leo roared angrily. Don said nothing more and got a needle ready. Chaplin was numb with shock and disgust that he couldn't barely move or react.

It was bad enough that Miss Karai willingly did any kind of an oath with that turtle beast. But worst of all was that she purposely wanted to have that disgusting terrapin's blood inside her. What was wrong with her?!

He could have easily given her a painless method to gain super human strength through robot armor. Why did she want organically?

It had to be those wretched Turtles! They made her feel insignificant and weak, so she wanted to be like them so she could feel any self worth. It was all their fault that Miss Karai was suffering!

Chaplin grabbed a scalpel and screaming like a crazed loon, he charged at Leo and Don. While Don was able to get some of the cure into Karai, he didn't get all of it her as he dodged out of the way.

Raph stopped Chaplin's pathetic attack and punched the psychopath in the gut hard enough to make him lose consciousness. Chaplin crumbled to the floor in a pitiful heap as he squeaked out weak protests and groans.

Soon, Karai's agony faded away and she shakily got to her feet while Leo helped her. Chaplin struggled to look at Karai and saw her leaning against Leo with his arms affectionately around her.

She laid her head against his shoulder with her arms around him as well. She seemed to welcome his supporting embrace and Chaplin hated how that terrapin beast was cuddling _HIS_ Karai.

The whole scene was just too much for scientist to bear as he felt something snap inside him. But that psycho rage burnt him out and he blacked out. Mikey peeked through his fingers.

"Is it over now? She's not changing into some gooey grotesque puking creature, is she?" Mikey asked, still freaked out. He regretted speaking once he saw Leo's murderous glare.

"No, Mikey. She's not changing into anything." Don said, sighing. "Look at this mess! It'll take me days to get this place straightened up and back in order."

"I'll help you clean the lab, Don." Rose offered, touching his arm in a sweet gentle manner. Don felt instantly embarrassed, though pleased. Until Mikey let his opinions out verbally.

"Oooo! Girlfriend! You go, girl! Go get my big bro Donnie! He's lonely and needs some lovin'!" Mikey cried, thumbs up and winking.

"Mikey!" Don cried, abashed to death. Raph promptly whacked his kid brother in the head.

"OW! What was that for?!" he protested. "Because you're being a frickin' idiot!" Raph shot back.

"No I'm not! Rose's obviously got the hots for Donnie! Come on! Love needs to be spoken loud and clear! You like her too, don't-cha Donnie? Come on, say it, say it! OWWW! Jeez, Raph! Not that hard!" Mikey shouted, holding his head.

"Shut it, Mikey. Let's get back to bed. I've had enough for one night." Raph growled, his sore arm bothering him more now. Then he met Lotus halfway on the steps.

"Lotus, what are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his right shoulder and arm.

"I heard much screaming and came. I waited and listened here." she said and saw how Raph kept on flexing his sore muscles in pain. She knew exactly what to do.

As they came to the top of the stairs, she massaged his shoulders in her special way. He sank to his knees in relief as she hovered behind him.

"Does that feel better?" she asked in a silky smooth purring voice. She pulsated and pressed her fingers deep into his thick tense muscles, enjoying the texture of his reptilian skin.

"Oohh, yeahh... D-mn, you're good..." Raph groaned, closing his eyes happily for a short while.

When he opened them a few seconds later, he saw Leo glaring at him and Lotus disgustedly. Raph stared back testily, but was overcome with that satisfying comfort again. He closed his eyes and grinned.

Over the years, he had grown used to having his muscles giving him aches and pains for days on end. The pains brought on by broken bones were always the worst.

Finally, he could have some decent relief from that pain through massage by someone who was very strong, but not too strong, like his brothers. Not like he wanted any massages from his brothers...

Leo did his best to keep his jealous feelings in check as he carried Karai to her room in his arms. Lotus never massaged _his_ aching muscles before...

After much thinking and meditating beforehand, Leo had been coming to a conclusion. Once he saw Lotus giving Raph such an erotic massage therapy, he finally made up his mind.

Raph could have that disgraceful wench for all he cared. Leo kinda felt glad that it was over and he could move on. He had no reasons to go back to Lotus. Especially not after seeing her being so lecherous with that shiatsu to Raphael.

When Mikey saw what Leo saw, he screamed in shock and jumped away, pointing. "Oh my shell! You're touching Raph like, like **_THAT_**?! Eww! Gross! Don't you know where he's been?! He's been in the sewer, Lotus! The stinkin' germ-ridden filthy sewer! Didn't you know he never takes showers?"

"Mikey, you are _so_ **DEAD**!" Raph shouted, getting to his feet and chasing after a giggling Mikey. Don came up carrying Chaplin on his back.

"What's going on?" he asked, confused. Lotus stood in front of him. "It is nothing. Here, I will take Chaplin to his quarters." she offered and took Chaplin from Don.

"Oh, boy. I'm never going to get any sleep tonight." Don thought, shaking his head with his fingers to his forehead. Rose watched with sad eyes as her brother Chaplin was taken away by Lotus.

Sighing, she knew she could not help her big brother in his 'battle' with the Turtles since she was fond of Don just like how Mikey said.

As embarrassing as that scene was, she kinda liked hearing her feelings being spoken out loud since she knew she never could do so herself. She was just too scared to voice something like that.

Smiling softly, Rose touched Don's arm again and bowed at him so she could leave to get some sleep.

"I will help you clean the lab tomorrow, Don. Maybe we could have breakfast together? And dinner too?" she asked, shyly. Don nervously put his hand behind his head as he chuckled while blushing.

"Heh heh! Sure, I'd love to..." Don's cheeks grew redder as he realized he said the 'L' word. Rose fidgeted on her heels as she played with her hands excitedly.

"Great!" she said loudly, a bit too loudly. "Oops! Hehee, I mean, that'd be just great. Um..see you then, Don."

"You can call me, Donnie." he said, feeling so very happy that he was about to sprout wings from his shell and fly to the moon any second.

"Oh, ok. Donnie..." Rose said, sneaking looks at him, but not daring to lock eyes with him. Don was doing pretty much the same thing since he was very jittery over this 'getting-a-girl' thing.

"Well, um, goodnight and everything..." Rose said, giggling. She turned and walked away. Don watched her go and sighed with much joy.

'She's just perfect...' he thought before heading off to bed.

* * *

In the morning after breakfast, Leo called his brothers into their room to tell them something important. Don was glad to have the meeting since he had to let them know of Leatherhead's warning of those control collars.

"Alright, spill. Why were you and Karai doing a blood oath?" Raph asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall near the door.

Mikey was eating a banana while dipping it in a bag of sugar. Don sat on his bed, waiting for his chance to warn them of Karai's control collar plans.

"Ok, I know you guys are going to find this a shock, but I made an agreement with Karai to join the Foot Clan and help her take down Kano and Hun, so they can't take over the city." Leo said in a rush.

"**WHAT?!**" the three younger brothers cried all at once. Mikey began to choke on his sugar-coated banana with a choking scream.

"She wants me to be the new Shredder as well and all of us to be her allies from now on." Leo added, thinking that Raph would explode like a volcano any second, but Don beat him to it.

"_**LEO, ARE YOU CRAZY?!**_" Don shouted, leaping off his bed towards him. "Tell me you didn't just say all that! Oh jeez! Leo, she's totally tricked you! Leatherhead warned me that Karai's creating mind-control collars for all of us!"

"_What...?_" Leo said, surprised and angry.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! Did you just say Karai has plans on controlling us with _dog collars_?" Raph asked, gritting his teeth.

"Yeah, pretty much. Leatherhead told me to meet him once we get back home." Don replied, shaking his head. "Leo, you'll have to tell Karai to just forget it. We can't help her. She's really out to enslave us!"

"Look, I can't. I took an oath and I can't go back on my word. It's a matter of honor." Leo said, gritting his teeth.

"What good is your precious honor when you're gonna be nothing but a d-mn dog on a leash that Karai's never gonna let go of, Leo? I sure as h-ll ain't gonna be her slave!" Raph scowled.

"Dude, why did you agree to such a thing anyway? I thought we can't trust Karai..." Mikey said, confused and worried. "Isn't she one of the bad guys?"

Leo sighed hard and explained some more. He told them how they really had no choice since Karai was offering them a cure they needed right away otherwise they would transform into merciless beasts.

The only way to get the cure in time was to be her ally and help her win the war against Kano. And he also pointed out how she forced the blood oath on him, it wasn't his idea.

"She's just using that as an excuse so she can bind us, Leo!" Raph complained. The other two nodded, agreeing.

"I did this for you!" Leo shot back, getting disgusted. "I told you, I had no choice! Would you rather have me refuse her offer and wait for us to turn into monsters instead? Do you think that would have been better? For us to mutate into mindless savages and kill everyone here?!"

His brothers stayed silent for a moment. "Well?" Leo asked, waiting for an answer. Don shook his head as Raph looked away. Mikey's eyes welled up with tears.

"No..." Don finally said. "But we better watch Karai closely and be ready when she tries to put collars or chips, or anything on us. I won't ever trust that woman. She's always up to something."

"Alright, we'll do that, Don." Leo said, patting his shoulder. "But we have to help her in this war against Kano and stay her ally. I made a promise and I must keep it. We owe Karai for offering the cure at least. Right?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Raph said irritably.

"I guess." Don replied, feeling not right. He didn't want to be allies with the infamous Foot Clan's witch known as Karai. But Leo was right.

They did owe her for giving them a chance for a permanent cure. Karai's science team had done much of the work already. Leatherhead did even more. All Don needed to do was make that cure compatible for his brothers and himself.

"I'll help out, but I ain't gonna like it." Mikey said, finishing the bag of sugar. The banana was long gone.

"So we're in agreement, then?" Leo asked. His younger brothers slowly nodded their heads reluctantly.

"Donnie, how long until you can make that cure a permanent one?" Leo asked, heading for the door. Don thought for a moment before answering.

"I should have one pretty soon. I say, maybe in like a month with additional safety testings. But it'll take longer now that lab is all screwed up." Don hoped his notes weren't destroyed by that lunatic Chaplin. What a nutcase!

"We'll help you get it in order, Don. Come on, let's get this done. The sooner, the better." Leo said, going out the door and down the stairs. His siblings followed him to the lab to get to work.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 11!  
****I'd really appreciate more reviews, so ****_please_**** let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks!**** :)**

**(Will the terrapin warriors receive their permanent cure in time? Will the temp ones be enough? What sort of chaos awaited them back home?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	11. Extreme Training & Trip 2 CA

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.11

* * *

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

As the days turned into weeks, Raph noticed Leo easing up on him. Ever since the night Karai almost mutated, Leo had changed. He was actually less bossy and more open-minded of all things.

Raph had a feeling it had to be because things between Leo and Karai were going smoothly. His older brother was constantly with her as much as Mikey was with Kameko.

Leo didn't nag or lecture as much as he usually did, a godsend to Raph. It was clear that Leo and Karai were super good friends, planning the upcoming battle every waking moment.

"It has to be flawless! It must! It must! I want no mistakes!" Karai would say so much that Raph thought she could be a rapper. She was good at repeating the same stuff over and over in a catchy kind of way.

Chaplin appeared to have lightened up as well. He even helped Leo when making the battle plans with Karai. Raph couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a feeling Chaplin was pretending to be nice.

He had to have an ulterior motive. There was no way Chaplin would be that friendly all of sudden when it was clear that he disliked the Turtles. Raph didn't trust that whacked-out scientist whatsoever.

As sickening as it was to see Leo and Karai being the 'Cuddle-Battle-Twins' on a daily basis, Raph was glad to have a lady of his own to stand by his side. Finally, he wasn't left out of something!

Lotus wasn't that shallow as he first judged her to be. She was caring and sensitive to Raph's well-being. His cramped muscles were gone thanks to Lotus and her special shiatsu. She really knew how to channel his chi right, something he had problems doing himself due to his bad temper.

Even Donnie had himself a lady friend. Rose was always in the lab with him doing work on the permanent cure, but Raph had a sneaky suspicion that they weren't only checking out the test tubes.

Mikey, well... It was obvious how things were going on with his love life. Ridiculously perfect. Mikey would gush on and on about Kameko to the point where Raph had to scream at him to stop.

'How much more annoying can he get?!' Raph thought many times to himself when Mikey got on his nerves. Kameko this and Kameko that! Sheesh!

After a month and two weeks later, Don came up with a permanent cure for them all. Thankfully they didn't go into any advanced stages of mutation and they all could breathe easy again.

Once they were injected with the cure, Leo made sure all his brothers trained long and hard for the next three weeks. Mikey complained constantly since he wanted to spend all his time with Kameko instead.

Then Raph and Don began to complain as well. Don would say he needed to work more in the lab while Raph said he would rather train alone. But Leo knew better. They wanted to goof off with their girlfriends, that's what.

He wouldn't allow it since he needed his brothers to always be in top shape, ready for anything. He couldn't afford to have them slacking off, not even a tiny bit. He couldn't let them get killed in the upcoming battle.

As the fourth week was coming to a close, Raph realized that Leo was no longer mellow as he had been before they received the cure. He was back to his old bossy self and kept ordering them around.

Raph suspected it was because there was a big disagreement between Leo and Karai. He overheard them arguing as he was heading outside to the forest. Karai and Leo were in the gardens having a heated discussion.

"I told you that plan won't work!" Leo said angrily. Why wouldn't she listen to him? Chaplin had suggested some strange battle scheme that Karai believed would work. Leo thought it looked more like a suicide mission than a sensible strategy.

"Of course it will! We will attack Hun and his men directly, hitting them hard and quickly! If we kill even a quarter of his defenses, we will be able to cripple his side considerably!" Karai cried, glaring.

"That's suicide! We don't really know how many soldiers Hun and Kano have now. We'll be outnumbered and killed the moment we reveal ourselves! We have to observe them first, see how large Hun's army is, then take it out bit by bit carefully. Then when we are sure Hun's defenses are truly beaten, we attack headlong to get at Kano." Leo explained.

"That will take too long! I want Hun and Kano to pay now! I approve of Chaplin's fight plans and we're going to use them. This debate on strategy is over, Leonardo. I will cut your tongue out if you dare speak against it again! Do I make myself clear?" Karai sneered, getting into his face.

Leo grit his teeth as his fists trembled at his sides. Why couldn't she see that Chaplin's plans were going to get them all killed? He hated this new jealousy rising in him.

Since Karai was favoring Chaplin's plan over Leo's plans, Leo saw it that she liked Chaplin better than him. He thought she didn't care for Chaplin since he was such a nuisance who was too absorbed in his work to truly be 'in tune' with Karai.

All these weeks, Leo came to believe that Karai was his lover and she behaved as if this was so too. Now she was being way too kind and lenient to Chaplin.

Leo felt like what had happened to him with Lotus was happening again with Karai. All this put Leo into a sour mood and so he was extra hard on his brothers during training.

Raph couldn't forget how Leo flipped out when Mikey made the mistake of ignoring and disobeying him one morning. It was sheer madness. Raph thought Leo would only viciously fight with him, but he was wrong.

"Michelangelo, I said we're going to train now..." Leo said dangerously.

When he received silence from his baby brother, Leo stomped over to physically drag him to the practice room. He grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his chair, sending him sprawling to the linoleum.

Mikey punched Leo away, but his eldest brother latched a hand onto the edge of his shell and wouldn't let him go. Leo's other hand seized Mikey's shoulder and his anger was felt through his tight grip.

"You're going to train whether you like it or not!" Leo shouted as Mikey struggled against him.

"Ow! Leo, you're hurting me!" Mikey yelled, punching and kicking. He nearly got free again, but Leo put him into a powerful choke-hold and began to drag him towards the practice room.

Raph and Don quickly went to work tearing Leo off Mikey when they heard his strangled cries and coughs. Leo seemed to 'snap' out of his cloud of rage and couldn't believe how badly he was just behaving.

He almost choked Mikey to death! What was wrong with him? Leo knew. He was taking his frustrations he had with Karai out on his siblings. He was so shocked at himself.

"What the shell is the matter with you, Leo?!" Raph shouted as Don consoled Mikey. "You were strangling Mikey!"

"I-I...." Leo stammered, shaking his head. He looked to Mikey with apologetic eyes. "I'm really sorry, Mikey. I didn't mean to..." Leo sighed hard as he continued. "...hurt you."

"Yeah right..." Mikey snapped, rubbing his throat. "I don't want to train anymore, Leo! We've been doing it for a month straight! Fifteen d-mn hours of it, every day! I'm so sick of it!"

"You know why I'm making you train so hard..." Leo said softly, still ashamed of how he manhandled Mikey.

"Yeah, so we can kill butt-loads of Foot ninja, we know!" Mikey shot back, angry at being attacked like that.

He saw and accepted Leo as a father figure and he trusted him not to harm him for real like that. Splinter would have never done such a thing to him and being reminded that Leo was not Splinter really upset Mikey.

It made him feel that horrible agony he felt when Splinter died. They were all devastated by Splinter's death and they tried to go on, but Mikey never really did move on.

He didn't take losing Splinter well and made himself believe that Leo was Splinter instead. Like his spirit was inside Leo now and he was Splinter that way. It helped him feel better and having Leo hug him like how Splinter used to soothed his soul well.

But now Leo hurt him, really really hurt him! How could he? Mikey doubted his love for him and felt worse. What if his other brothers would do the same? If he couldn't trust his brothers and be close to them, he'd have almost nothing left.

Kameko. He could trust her. She loved him and always would. Even if his brothers were no longer part of his life, Mikey could live on as long as he had Kameko. He could always count on her.

"You're such a hypocrite!" Mikey shouted then, pointing a finger at Leo. "Before you said you didn't want us to kill, but now with Karai, we have to? Sheesh!"

"I told you, I had no choice! She gave Don the means to create a cure for us!" Leo shouted back as Mikey pushed past him. "Come on! I said I was sorry, Mikey! Come back here! Mikey!"

"Let him go, Leo." Raph said, grabbing his arm to stop him from going after Mikey.

"No, I can't! He's not like you, Raph. He doesn't really want to be alone. I have to talk to him." Leo protested.

"I'll go talk to him." Don said, following his baby brother to where the gardens were. He found Mikey standing in a sea of tulips and it was easy to tell he was crying.

"Mikey?" Don asked, going up to him. He turned and saw Don. He wiped his tears away hastily with his forearm and sighed shakily. "Go away." he said, waving his hand out.

"No, I won't. I know how you feel Mikey. You see Leo as if he is Splinter, don't you?" Don asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I do too." Mikey's eyes widened. Don saw Leo like how he did too?

"I did it because I know I can't function without him. So I think of Leo as Splinter and it helps me to move on." Don said, trying hard to put out of his mind the painful guilt that plagued his soul.

It was his fault that Splinter died. If only he found a cure in time for him! If only...he was good enough to save him! But he wasn't... Don fought back the urge to cry himself. He had to be a strong older brother for Mikey here.

"Leo's going through hard times, Mikey. He didn't mean to hurt you. He loves you, just like how Raph and I do. You don't ever have to feel alone. We're always here for you. Especially me." Don said, patting his shoulder in a loving brotherly manner.

Mikey hugged Don then, his powerful embrace nearly crushing Don. Mikey was only a bit smaller than Raph and Don was the smallest out of them all. Having a baby brother who was larger than him wasn't easy on Don, but he didn't mind much.

"There, there..." Don whispered, hugging Mikey back. Despite their age, Mikey was still like a child in many ways. Although he was physically sturdy and robust, his mind was that of a kid and he bruised easily when it came to any turmoil with his family.

Don hoped this battle Karai wanted them to win wouldn't scar poor Mikey. He wanted his brother to stay happy and playful forever since that was Mikey's nature.

Suddenly, he remembered back to when he had that reality nightmare induced by Draco and the Daimyo's son. Mikey was in his forties and lost his left arm.

He was battle-scarred and miserable, a shell of his former self. War had ripped his child-like playfulness from his soul, leaving him bitter and angry. Don had a bad feeling then. What if this upcoming battle ruins Mikey?

Don shook his head and narrowed his eyes. He couldn't let it happen. He wouldn't.

* * *

One evening, Leo was watching the news in the living room when Karai appeared. She looked serious and ready to do battle. Leo understood that look and stood up.

"It is time." Karai said simply and left to where the helicopters were kept. "Gather your brothers and get them ready. We are leaving within the hour."

"I wish you would reconsider and use my strategy plans instead. I-" Leo cried out as Karai slashed at his plastron with a dagger she had yanked from her belt.

"Still your tongue, Leonardo!" she hissed, her knife at his throat then. "I kept my part of this oath! I gave you the cure to your advanced mutation and now you must aid me in winning this battle! Not run your mouth off at me!"

Karai disliked being so mean to Leo, but she wanted him to be angry and not hesitate to kill her enemies. Keeping him enraged would ensure that he would kill like she needed him to.

She turned to leave, but Leo grabbed her arm to stop her. She saw the hurt confusion in his eyes, making her feel bad as well. She had no choice, but to make him upset. She needed him and his brothers to be her assassins by any means.

"Why are you acting like this?" Leo asked in a hushed whisper. He thought he saw some sad regret in her expression, but it was replaced by hostility in a second as she yanked her arm loose.

"I said get your brothers ready. We are leaving tonight." Karai hissed and left coolly. Leo sighed tiredly as Chaplin watched the whole scene hidden by a large potted plant. He couldn't smile any harder.

The trip was long and boring. Like the others, Leo fell asleep and when he woke, he saw trees he thought he'd never see again. This couldn't be...Central America! Could it?

As they landed and got out, Karai took them to a Foot headquarters that the Turtles never knew about. Leo knew this part of the jungle and this building wasn't here before.

Still, he said nothing about his prior knowledge to the area and waited until night to visit an old friend. Mariah's village was close to this place. Leo always wondered how Mariah was doing all these years with the man (Huel) he left her with.

As night fell, Leo left the Foot stronghold silently. It took him a little over half an hour to walk to Mariah's village. As he crouched in that large tree close to the gate of the village, Leo felt strange.

He was the ghost of the jungle, this jungle here. The ghost of justice. How many people suffered during his years of absence? Were the villages being pillaged again? If they were, who was stopping the evil-doers now?

Leo had on Karai's spare hooded cloak and he nervously pulled at the hood over his head. Would Mariah remember him? He hoped Baytos wasn't around still or if he was, that he wasn't causing any problems for the other villagers.

Huel had better have taken good care of Mariah, otherwise Leo would never forgive himself. He thought Huel would be a good husband for Mariah when he saw how kind and strong the guy was those years ago.

If Leo had been born a human, he would have been someone like Huel. So Leo believed this guy to be most worthy to care for Mariah. Yes, it was strange for Leo to care so much in Mariah having a successful relationship, but he felt responsible for ensuring happiness for her.

Leo had to be sure she had a decent man to care for her since he couldn't be such a man for her. There couldn't be anything wrong with wanting good things for others, could it?

He sniffed the air, checking for Mariah's scent. Once he knew someone's scent, he never forgot it. Instead of picking up Mariah's scent, he detected someone else's. He looked behind him to the left and easily could see Karai a few yards away.

'Why are you following me?' Leo thought, frowning. Ignoring her, he went into the village to search for Mariah. Karai watched Leo go into the village that Kano had enslaved.

Some of Kano's soldiers lived in that village. Karai didn't want to think this, but she worried that Leo knew this and was trying to warn the families of those soldiers to flee.

If he was doing that, then Kano's men would know that she was here and her fortress would be overrun by Kano's men before the night was over. She had to stop Leo or else they would be all doomed!

**To Be Continued in Chapter 12!  
****I'd really appreciate more reviews, so ****_please_**** let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks!**** :)**

**(Will Karai stop Leo or create a big scene and be discovered by Kano's soldiers instead? What horrors awaited the Turtles in the upcoming battle? Will they make it out of Central America alive?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	12. The Suicide Mission

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.12

* * *

All TMNT characters are © Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
****Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

Leonardo took several more sniffs of the air around him and caught a faint whiff of Mariah's scent right before Karai jumped him from behind.

Amazingly, she was able to drag him back towards the gates to the jungle. He broke away from her and glared. What was her problem? Before he could ask, she scolded him.

"What are you doing?! You're not to leave the fortress!" she hissed at him, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the forest. Leo yanked his arm free and stood his ground.

"I'm a turtle, not a dog, Karai." Leo said irritably. "I go where I please. I'm _not_ your slave. Neither are my brothers..."

"You fool! Kano has had this village enslaved for years. His best soldiers live here and if they spot you, my men will be overrun before this night is over. They know where my fortress is and I don't plan on waging battle there! You will jeopardize the entire mission!" Karai snarled, raising her short dagger to Leo's face.

"_What?!_..." Leo cried in a hushed whisper of surprise. He had a million questions then, but they had to wait.

Suddenly, a light came on and the two ninjas disappeared into the trees. A man walked out from a nearby hut and a woman followed him. Karai did not recognize these people, but Leo did.

"What's wrong, dear?" Mariah asked, carrying a nursing baby.

"I thought I heard some more of those stinking ninjas prowling out here." Huel said, tapping a large club in his huge hands.

"I wish they would leave us in peace. We can't afford to feed our children anymore now. They won't stop taking everything we have. If only Leonardo was here, he'd-..." Mariah began, but Huel cut her off.

"Don't speak of that coward! He abandoned us years ago! He doesn't care about us, he only cares about his kind!" Huel said bitterly. He lowered his voice as he spoke to himself. "Baytos was right... You just can't trust a ninja."

Huel looked at his wife and child. "I don't want you ever speaking about that animal again! He's nothing more than a silly myth now. We just have to make out the best we can." He went back into the hut and Mariah followed with tears brimming her eyes.

After hearing what they had to say, Leo took off into the jungle back to the Foot fortress. Karai chased after him and caught up to him in a small clearing. She had questions for him now.

"You have been here before?" she asked, though the answer was obvious. They walked the rest of way with much overgrowth of brush in their paths.

Leo unsheathed his katanas and took his raging frustrations on the thick jungle leaves and hanging vines. Karai watched his enraged slashing frenzy with deep pleasure.

Soon, her beloved assassin would hack down Kano as she gloated her victory in his face. She couldn't wait to unleash her beautiful beast of death upon her enemies. Even the mighty Hun wouldn't be able to escape alive...

"My Master Splinter sent me here when I was a teen..." Leo said, grunting and shouting out battle cries as he cut down the underbrush. "To become a better leader. But I stayed longer than I should have and I protected these people. Eventually they called me the 'ghost of the jungle'. The ghost...of justice..."

Leo paused to catch his breath, but resumed moments after to emphasize his words better as he slammed his blades through a tree. "But I had to go back home and now the villagers think I've **_abandoned_** them!"

He let out a furious scream as he flung his swords into the ground and bent over them, struggling not to cry. This was exactly why he didn't want to go home all those years ago. These people still needed him and he let them down. He let them down!

"Leonardo, I'm sorry." Karai said, coming up behind him and putting her arms around his shell. She laid her cheek against the back of his head with her arms crossed in front of his collarbone. She rubbed his shoulders and tightened her embrace.

"Come. We have much to do. Tonight we rest. Tomorrow night we strike. I will be by your side no matter what happens. In mind, body, and spirit... I will always be with you, my Leonardo..." Karai said softly.

"Karai..." Leo said, looking at her as she pulled away. She gave him a smile and touched his cheek with her hand in endearment. He held it there, nuzzling it as he closed his eyes.

He had been wrong. Karai didn't care for Chaplin more, she loved Leo definitely. He could feel her affections for him through every tender touch, every loving kiss.

Things would be alright again. Leo had to make them right, he just had to.

* * *

Raph explored the world his brother Leo had lived in for two years and began to understand why he didn't want to come back home at first. There was no smog or lack of good sunlight.

Although Raph had gotten over his strong fear of insects, he still wasn't crazy about them. When he investigated an interesting cave, it was filled with bugs galore. He lost count how many ticks he plucked off his skin.

"Stupid mosquitoes!" Raph scowled, smacking his arm to kill the little blood-sucker. "Go drink off Mikey, why don't ya?!"

"Problems?" said a familiar silky voice.

"Yeah, there's too many bugs in this freakin' world!" Raph complained, swatting at an incoming cloud of insects. Lotus laughed and took his hand, leading him towards a large stream.

"This heat is what is bothering me. Come, let's take a swim. Later, I can massage your shoulders again." Lotus purred, talking in a sweet sexy tone that pulled Raph to her like a magnet.

"Sure. I'll race ya!" Raph sprinted quickly to the stream, believing he would get there first. To his surprise, Lotus beat him by a few seconds.

"Your brother Michelangelo is correct. You are slow." Lotus teased, leaning against a tree confidently. Raph charged at her with a grin.

"I'll show you slow!" he shouted, playfully knocking her into the water. She screamed with delight as she fell into the water with a huge splash. She stayed under and didn't resurface, causing Raph to hang over the water's edge.

"Uh, Lotus? You're ok, right? Jeez, I didn't push you that hard..! Did I?" Raph took a breath and held it to put his head under water just when Lotus' arms went around behind his head. She dragged him in, creating even a bigger splash.

He came up coughing and seconds later she surfaced laughing her head off. Raph scowled, but his frown didn't stay long. He smirked, getting a mischievous look on his face.

"Ohhh, you are so going to get it, Lady! You're gonna be sorry you ever messed with me!" Raph shouted, pointing a finger at her. He dove into the water and was gone. Lotus hurried back to the grass, giggling.

But she didn't make it and Raph dumped a bunch of wet mud on top of her head. He rubbed his palm into her scalp hard, making sure he got her hair good and dirty. Then he scrubbed his hands down her back, staining her outfit well.

"Now we're even." Raph said, smiling. Lotus expressed her great dislike for this mud bath. It wasn't just mud, it smelled like dung! She couldn't wait to 'punish' him.

"Oh no we are not, Raphael!" Lotus cried, grabbing some of the yuck from her hair and pushing it into his mouth before he could back away in time. Immediately, he spat and swore up a storm.

Lotus smacked water into his face before she ducked under the water. They ended up throwing mud at each other and 'drowning' one another for most of the afternoon.

The stench of the mud kept the bugs away, but they couldn't stand the smell either so they hunted for a waterfall to bathe under. The beautiful Japanese woman immensely enjoyed having her hair washed by her reptilian man friend.

Raph's thick strong digits swept through her tangled locks, making them straight and smooth again. Lotus reveled in the pleasure Raph's fingers were giving to her scalp. She would repay him soon enough with some shiatsu.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Foot fortress, Donnie was trying to get used to a new weapon Karai said he had to use. He tried to refuse it, but Leo told him to just accept the spear and practice with it.

'I can't believe how much Karai's got Leo brainwashed...' Don thought to himself as he spun the fancy spear between his fingers. First the right, then the left hand.

"At least you're shaped like my old bo, my 'friend'." Don told the spear bitterly, taking wide swipes and downward slashes to invincible enemies. It had been over six years since he slain another living being.

He didn't think he could get used to this weapon in time for the battle coming that night. Karai expected him and his brothers to slaughter hundreds tonight just so she could get a foot hold on her crumbling empire again.

Donnie would rather be at home in his room tinkering with gadgets and inventing a new machine to make life easier. Not trying to get his killer edge back. He didn't want to be an assassin, although that was basically what a ninja was anyway.

'I'm a scientist, not a hit man for Karai. Leo, this is all your fault... I could have found the cure for us on my own. We didn't need Karai's help...' Don thought irritated.

The spear had a bunch of thick animal hair near the blade's hilt to soak up blood so the staff wouldn't get slippery. The metallic scalpel was wickedly curved and hooked at the edges, ready to stab and tear flesh.

Don swiped the spear down angrily, cutting open a dummy bag of sand. 'If Mikey gets messed up from all this, I'll never forgive you, Karai...' he thought, wishing there was some way to make that woman disappear along with all their problems associated with her.

"Don?"

"Oh, Rose! Hi!" Don set the spear up on some hooks on the wall to put it away as he hurried over to Rose. They planned to watch the sunset together and enjoy their time together just in case this was the last time.

With war, you could never be sure who would live or die. Don was so thankful to Rose since she was so understanding and caring of him. She reminded him of April, the first human female he had feelings for, but never really acted upon them.

Don knew Raph loved April too and so he hid his longing desires for April for his older brother's sake. Raph was stronger than him and in the animal world if you didn't measure up, you had to move aside.

Plus, Don could tell Raph was deeply infatuated with April, so he let Raph have his way. Don figured he really didn't have a chance anyhow, especially when Casey came along.

Raph really cared for both of them, so he stepped down so Casey could have April instead. It was the honorable and noble thing to do afterall.

It wasn't like their species were compatible anyway (though Don hoped to change that in the future). What else could Raph have done? He had no choice really. Don remembered hearing Raph quietly sobbing in his room from time to time for a long while after all that.

'Raph must be over April now...' Don thought as he hugged Rose to his plastron while she sat in his lap watching the sun near the horizon. 'He's got Lotus besides. Ah, April, you eluded me, but I've managed to catch a prize like you anyway.'

Mostly known to his brothers, as a teen, Donnie was just as silly and wild as Mikey. He skateboarded more than the rest of them, even Mikey. He sang and danced with Mikey for fun, hoping they could somehow start a new rock band.

Extremely flirtatious and eager, Don and Mikey would hunt for new thrills to satisfy their crazy attraction to women. Don smiled as he remembered how he would go topside with Mikey in search of curvy girls undressing in windows.

They got away with that until Splinter found out and stopped them. Splinter made them train for weeks straight and used Leo to keep an eye on them at all times. With the stiff unforgiving Sentry Leo watching, Don and Mikey's peeping-tom girls days were over.

Without being able to roam free topside in pursuit of pretty girls, Don found a new way to spend his time through tinkering with science. As time went on, he grew more attached to his lab and creating inventions than playing or longing for girls.

"Rose?" Don held her close as she snuggled up against his chin. "Hm?"

"I'm not saying this will happen, but...if I die tonight, will you remember me?" Don asked, his hands wandering over her. She turned her head up enough so she could look at him.

"I'll never forget you, Donatello. Never." Rose said softly, kissing him. He kissed her back passionately, just in case these may be his last chances to do so.

"And I don't think you'll be killed either, don't worry. You fight superbly." Rose said, closing her eyes as Don dabbed hungry kisses down the side of her neck.

Rose debated whether or not she should tell him that she was...well... She didn't believe anything like this could happen when she had slept with Don off and on during the months they had been together.

But if he was indeed killed during the upcoming battle, then he would never know that Rose was pregnant...

"I don't fight that well." Don said, not viewing himself as a great warrior. Raph was one, not Don.

"You _do_ fight well, Don! You have to, because...! Because..." Rose couldn't bring herself to just say it. She barely believed it herself. That pregnancy test had to be wrong, but she did twenty tests over the last two weeks. It wasn't wrong.

"Because...?" Don raised an eye ridge at her. He could tell she wanted to say something, but she wouldn't spit it out.

"Donatello, I'm...I'm..." Rose swallowed hard. "...parturient."

"Oh, you're enceinte. That's...nice..." Don slowed his speech as he actually realized what she was saying. His eyes widened as he stared at her. "You're kidding me!"

"No, no, I'm not!" Rose said, smiling as she saw that he was too.

"You're not kidding? You're not. Oh shell! I can't believe this! Are you absolutely sure about this? I mean, you took the correct tests and everything?" Don asked, getting excited.

If he could successfully reproduce with ordinary humans, this could mean his kind wouldn't become extinct. A new race of hu-animals could inhabitant the Earth and no longer would his brothers need to hide in the sewers.

There would be no need for risky new mutations on humans to make them reptilian so he and his brothers could mate with them. Perhaps Don and his siblings were human enough to be compatible with the homo-sapiens afterall.

"Yes, twenty times!" Rose cried, grinning and laughing as Don held her hands. She hugged him hard then, burying her face into his neck.

"Oh, Don...I love you..." she whispered. She didn't really know the origins of Don exactly. She guessed he was like how Mondo Gecko was, a human mutated with animal DNA. She didn't really care though nor thought of it much either way.

Don didn't know she didn't know that he started out as an adorable pet store turtle who was mutated into an anthropomorphic turtle creature with the intelligence of Einstein.

"I love you too, Rose..." Don replied, snuggling her to death. Wow! He was going to be a daddy and his brothers were going to be uncles! This sort of thing was something they never thought they could have in their lives.

Now Don could give his brothers they never thought possible. This was so great!

* * *

As night fell, Karai led the Turtles to Kano's citadel. Lotus was Karai's backup assassin, so she came along too. Karai decided to leave what was left of her Foot army behind to guard her fortress while she was away.

Chaplin and his team were to place explosives in the lower levels of Kano's citadel while Karai, Lotus, and the Turtles distracted Kano's defenses.

Karai believed once his defenses were depleted and destroyed, she could gain control of the villages Kano enslaved and use them as she saw fit. She couldn't wait to crush Kano and punish Hun utterly. Nothing could go wrong.

As Chaplin suggested, she rushed her small army into the upper levels of Kano's citadel and they were instantly flooded by hundreds of his men.

As she hoped, the Turtles slashed, stabbed, and crushed a good amount of Kano's large army as if they were smashing ants on a sidewalk. Blood sprayed everywhere and the bodies began to pile up fast.

Mikey tried to avoid most of the battle by just dodging and eluding Kano's ninjas, but he was forced to bring down plenty of them regardless. Karai made him leave his nunchakus behind and use a new weapon that reminded him of his inazuma.

Except it was more like a vicious mixture of the inazuma and nunchakus with medium long hooked blades sticking out of the polished wooden handles.

He felt bad to split open skulls with such a terrible weapon, but he had to defend himself from Kano's unrelenting mob of ninjas. One Foot ninja tried to take his head off with a sword, but missed since Mikey easily tucked his head into his shell.

He whipped out his inazuma hybrid and knocked the guy flat onto his back. He begged for mercy, ripping off his mask to show that he was just a young kid around fourteen years old.

"Please spare me! I am only doing what Kano says so he doesn't kill me! Please let me go!" the teen cried. Mikey let the boy go by pushing him out an open window so he could fall into the moat below and swim away from this madness.

Karai noticed this and was angered. How dare Leonardo not keep all his brothers in check like she wanted? She wanted no mercy to be given! That boy could come back to haunt them later.

Raph was being ganged up on by thirteen Foot ninjas and Lotus helped clear them off him. He thanked her and ran off to help Leo with some stubborn ninjas that wouldn't stay down.

There was a short lull during the battle as Lotus cried out as she saw a spray of shurikens and poison darts heading for Raph just then. She raced after him and shoved him aside just in time.

Unfortunately, she was riddled with the metal stars and poison darts and a random ninja stabbed her through her gut with a thin bladed sword. It happened within seconds and it was already too late to do anything about it.

Leo and Raph both witnessed this savage multiple impaling of Lotus. "NOOO!!!" Raph yelled as he raced back to her, catching her before she could collapse to the floor.

Leo watched in the utmost horror while his younger brother begged Lotus to hang on. But it was easy to see that she wasn't going to make it. But despite her impending death, Lotus was able to smile.

"Why the h-ll are you smiling, Lotus? You're gonna die if we don't get you away from here!" Raph cried, frustrated and terribly upset. This couldn't be really happening!

"I am sorry, Raphael..." she choked out as she felt her life force fading from her body. "I am just happy...that... I can actually die...with honor..."

Raph held Lotus in his arms while he and Leo stared down at her. After she spoke her last words, her body fell limp and it didn't take long for Raph's rage to explode inside him.

He screamed out a furiously vicious roar of sorrow and rage that made Leo step back. He watched his brother dive into a crowd of Kano's men and gutting them like fish in pairs.

A group of six ninja tried to attack Leo then and he took released his rage on them. How dare they kill Lotus! She must have valued honor ever since she had been with Raph otherwise she wouldn't have saved him.

She was finally a better person due to Raph, but they didn't let her live out her new life as an honorable ninja. Instead she became a casualty of this stupid war. It just wasn't right!

"Stop this at once! I command you!" shouted a voice. Most of Kano's men stopped and the Turtles looked to where the voice came from.

From an open doorway on top of a stairway, Kameko stood with her arms outstretched. "This madness has to stop! I demand you all lay down your weapons! Now!"

She knew Mikey told her not to come, but she couldn't stay behind. What if her beloved Michelangelo was murdered? She couldn't let that happen.

She went there hoping to stop the battle and when she observed how well the Turtles were handling the situation, she thought about leaving.

Then she saw Lotus get peppered with poison and shurikens. She had to put a stop to all of this. Lotus was like another adopted sister to her, she was family.

Kameko couldn't let anymore of her friends be killed. Lotus was a huge loss already. Kano's army would listen to her since they believed she was still on Kano's side.

It looked like Kano's men were about to obey her when there was a sickening squish of a sword going through flesh and guts. Mikey couldn't barely believe what he was seeing.

Kameko had the blade of a large sword sticking out from the right side of her chest. She turned to see who had done this to her and saw her own brother, Kano.

He was dressed like his father, the Shredder. Kameko uttered his name and he rammed his gauntlet hooks into the back of her neck, severing her spine.

"Filthy traitor!" he spat at her. "You are no sister of mine! I hope you rot in Hell for betraying me!" Kano hissed, then yanked his sword free from Kameko's body once he saw Mikey coming at him with his inazuma hybrid raised.

"**_NOOOOO!!! KAMEKO!!_**"

Ferociously Mikey attacked Kano with all his might and fresh burning hatred. Magically as if on cue, Hun appeared and went to work being the ultimate bodyguard while Kano slipped away into the shadows.

Leo tried to stop him from escaping, but the door he went through gave Leo a painful shock when he tried to pry it open. Leo growled in disgust and joined his brothers as they helped Mikey against Hun.

Don felt a jolt of urgency go through his body as he saw Mikey biting and clawing Hun, ripping chunks of flesh off. The way Mikey was screaming and roaring, it was like he was losing control... Losing his mind...

Finding an opening, Don whacked Mikey off Hun, who hastily made a quick retreat through another electrified door. This time Raph got shocked when he attempted to pull those doors open.

"Don't touch those doors, Raph! They've got electricity running through them!" Leo warned him, but it was already too late.

"D-mn it Leo! You could have told me a little sooner! Jeez!" Raph yelled, shaking his fist at his big brother.

Leo caught the sorrowful look in Raph's damp eyes from losing Lotus as he glared at him. Leo knew exactly how he felt and squeezed his eyes shut, bowing his head.

Not only was Lotus dead, but so was Kameko! Poor Mikey... Their grieving was cut short when they heard Mikey's crazed screaming. They turned to see Don struggling with Mikey who was going ballistic.

"**D-MN IT, DON!!! LET ME GO!!! I HAVE TO KILL HIM!!! I HAVE TO KILL KANO!!! LET ****_GO_**** OF ME!!!**" Mikey screamed, fighting to get loose.

Leo and Raph each grabbed Mikey's thrashing arms quickly as Don avoided his baby brother's deadly kicking. He went behind him and got a good grip on his shell to get him to stop twisting around.

"Michelangelo, calm down! You're going to hurt yourself or us! **You ****_must_**** calm down!**" Leo shouted, losing his hold on him. A laser blast cut through the air then, barely missing Don's head.

The distraction aided Mikey to jerk free from his older brothers' clutches, dragging Don across the floor until he too lost his grip and crashed to the hardwood flooring.

Mikey mercilessly plummeted the shooter into a bloody mess of crushed bones and guts. His rampage continued down the stairway to the remaining Foot soldiers. They fell like weak flies, smashing into the rails and tumbling down the steps.

Leo, Raph, and Don tried to stop Mikey again, but they couldn't. They had their hands full of new ninjas pouring out from everywhere in the room.

Don was super worried that Mikey was going to go insane from all this. They had to get out of here! Just then there were a series of eruptions from the lower levels. So _now_ Chaplin got those bombs to detonate? What took him so long?

Several moments later there was an ear-shattering explosion to the north side wall of the building. Chaplin's team was piloting Karai's helicopter. They aimed the copter's weapons at the mob of Kano's men, clearing a path for Karai to get to safety.

"We are withdrawing! Now!" Karai shouted and ran to the helicopter. Not wanting to leave Lotus behind, Raph picked up her dead body and followed Karai. He didn't want to obey Karai, but he couldn't stay here all night.

Don retrieved Kameko's body, knowing if he didn't take her with them Mikey would be more upset. At least he can bury her. It was hard to look at her now, all mangled and bloody.

Don felt absolutely terrible. He liked this lady, she had been so kind to them all. She didn't deserved to be mutilated like this! Leo was trying to get Mikey to retreat although it seemed like Kano's men were trying to flee from him instead.

"We have to go!" Leo shouted at him. Mikey refused to listen to him and continued to slaughter Kano's men. Leo had enough of this and tackled Mikey to the floor. He pressed a finger to his brother's neck and in a moment, he was unconscious.

Leo slung Mikey over his shoulder and jumped out the open wall as Chaplin's team flew the helicopter away suddenly. Leo barely caught the ladder in time. He angrily looked up and wondered if Chaplin ordered them to do that on purpose...

He climbed up the ladder and got inside. The smell of blood was everywhere. Extreme hostility and distrust raged in the atmosphere. Karai felt guilty as she looked at the dead bodies of Lotus and Kameko.

She had a sinking feeling that the Turtles would blame her for these misfortunes and hold her responsible. She was sure of it once she saw the furious glare in Leonardo's narrowed eyes.

Karai hastily looked away only to see Raphael staring at her with a similar look filled with utmost hatred. Donatello's glaring wasn't much different as he cradled Mikey in his lap, his arms over him in a protective manner.

What was she going to do now? How could she win the war over Kano and still keep the Turtles as her allies?

The battle obviously hadn't been won yet. She still needed them to attack Kano again, though she feared they wouldn't help her anymore and desire her death instead now.

The only hope she had was that Leonardo would still honor their blood oath regardless of what just happened. Otherwise, she was doomed...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 13!  
****I'd really appreciate more reviews, so ****_please_**** let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks!**** :)**

**(Will Karai be able to keep the Turtles on her side or will they avenge Lotus and Kameko by destroying her? Did Chaplin have a hand in the mission failing? How will Mikey live on now that he's lost Kameko?) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	13. Deadly Brumation & Hun

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.13

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):** See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I'm unsure to what Dr. Chaplin's first name is, so I'll call him Ben. If anyone knows Dr. Chaplin's first name, let me know in your review. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

Once they were back at Karai's fortress, Don took Mikey to the sleeping quarters while Leo took Kameko's body elsewhere. Raph carried Lotus as he followed Leo to a room across from where Don put Mikey.

Silently the brothers put the dead women on beds and covered them up with sheets. Before Leo covered Kameko, he noticed her eyes were still open. The look of death staring up at him made Leo feel even worse.

He ran his hand over her eyes to close them. Lotus might have died feeling satisfied, but Kameko sure didn't. This was simply awful! He dreaded when Mikey would wake up.

Leo heard Raph trying his hardest not to cry, but Leo knew what his younger brother's shaking shoulders meant. He decided to leave him alone as Raph bent over Lotus' dead form.

He went to the room where Don and Mikey were and saw Don washing up. He was using a damp rag to clean the bloody gore from himself and Mikey. Leo took a spare rag from the nearby night table and dipped it into the water-filled bucket Don had at the foot of the bed.

"Stay still." Leo ordered Don as he wiped the carnage from his little brother's shell. Don stared at Mikey sadly and heaved a gusty sigh.

"I'm worried what he'll do when he wakes up..." Don said softly, shaking his head.

"Whatever it may be, we have to protect him, Don. And comfort him. He really needs us now, more than ever." Leo replied, scrubbing under Don's shell behind his neck and shoulders.

"Yes... I know." Don said, his downhearted tone causing Leo to feel angry. Karai lied to him! She said she'd never harm his family again, but she did anyway! Indirectly yes, but she still did hurt them. She had to be held responsible for all this.

"I'm going to have a 'talk' with Karai after I meditate." Leo said then, dropping the rag onto the night table.

He knew if he didn't meditate long and hard first, he would lose his temper and butcher Karai, despite his feelings for her. Don watched Leo go with narrowed eyes.

"Why don't you tell her we're through being her slaves? I'm not going to do anything more for that woman, Leo! I swear, I'll kill her if Mikey goes insane because of this garbage!" Don said harshly, gritting his teeth. "This whole mess is her fault!"

"I know, Don. I _told_ her to use my strategy plans for this mission, but she didn't. It's a mistake she's going to pay dearly for..." Leo said in that dangerous tone that made Don think better of him. Maybe he wasn't as brainwashed by Karai as he first thought.

Leo left then and Don went back to cleaning Mikey up. Once he was green again, Don held his baby brother tightly in his arms. 'Please be alright, Mikey...' he thought, pressing his forehead to his. 'I can't lose you to war. Not again...'

* * *

Mikey suddenly woke and found himself in bed with Don by his side. He was asleep and free of blood. Was that battle thing just a dream? A horrible nightmare?

He got out of the bed quietly so he wouldn't wake Don and headed for the door. He opened it, but then ducked out of view when he saw Raph come out of another room.

Raph looked ragged and his eyes were red, like he had been crying for hours. He was also covered in brownish splatters and just seeing him told Mikey that that so-called nightmare was indeed reality.

With his heart beating faster, he waited until Raph disappeared elsewhere. Then he rushed to the room Raph just came out of. He saw two beds with bodies on them hidden by sheets. The sheets were stained with blood, which had turned brown.

Mikey instinctively knew what this all meant, but he didn't want to believe it anyway. He made himself pull one sheet away and saw Lotus' corpse, cold and stiff.

Trembling, he placed the sheet over her face again. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as his stomach churned with horrid anxiety. He forced himself to yank the sheet from Kameko then.

A choking sob strangled him as he looked down at her lifeless blood-stained face, stroking her tangled hair. Instantly, his eyes welled up with heavy tears as he bowed over her, crying hard.

After a long while, he straightened up to look at her again, his vision blurred from all his sorrowful tears. He ran his left hand over her face and hair in terrible grief.

"How could your own brother do this to you..?" he asked in a painful whisper. Witnessing his beloved being killed by her own brother reminded Mikey how Leo almost strangled him to death in order to make him train days before.

He felt since Kameko was betrayed by her brother like that, he could suffer the same eventually. Leo provided some 'proof' to make him think this sort of thing could be possible for him as well.

Mikey never felt so alone in his life, he wished he could die, then he could follow Kameko to Heaven. But...would he go there too? Humans went to Heaven, but what about animals? What about mutant Turtles or mutant anything?

Since he didn't have an answer for that, he decided to stay alive and get some serious revenge for Kameko instead. Earlier, Mikey had been hesitant to kill Kano's Foot ninja, but he sure wasn't anymore.

In fact, he couldn't wait to slaughter those monsters again. He especially wanted Kano dead for what he had done to Kameko. There would be no place on Earth for Kano to hide. Mikey vowed to destroy him.

"I'll kill him and avenge you Kameko... I swear it." Mikey told her, placing the sheet over her again. "Kano's entire Foot clan won't be safe from me..."

Mikey left the room, which had become a morgue and heard some yelling. It was faint, but very fiery. He let his ears lead him to Karai's chambers and listened.

Leo was arguing with Karai, though it sounded like Leo was about to slice her in two with his katanas. That's how irate he was. Karai tried to apologize for her mistake, but Leo wasn't buying it.

"'Sorry' isn't going to bring back Lotus and Kameko!" Leo shouted, his features tightened in intense anger.

"I understand that, Leonardo. I simply made a mistake. I-"

"It's your last mistake, Karai! You're on your own!" Leo yelled harshly.

"No, you can not abandon me! You swore an oath to aid me against Kano and Hun! You are bound to it by blood!" she protested.

"No, I'm not!" Leo shot back, seething. "You broke our oath, Karai! You said you'd never harm my family again, but you **_did_**! Not only did you hurt _them_, but you hurt _me_ as well!" Leo cried, his narrowed eyes burning into her soul.

Karai felt a twinge of fear by the murderous look in his eyes. She almost thought he would attack and kill her right there and then. But instead, he continued to yell at her.

"My little brothers lost their loved ones, people they hold dear! You hurt them, Karai! Meaning our oath has been since voided and I demand you send us home!"

Karai knew she couldn't send the Turtles back home no matter what, not yet. She still needed them and dared not to use collars on them if she could help it. Willing allies were better than forced ones.

"Leonardo, you must listen to me. I did not directly harm your family, I made an error in judgement of the strategies available to me. In the next battle, we will use your strategy. We-"

"There's no 'we', Karai. I told you, I'm through. My brothers and I are going home in the morning. Don't ever contact us again or I'll be forced to silence you forever." Leo said in that gravely dangerous tone of his.

After one final vicious glare, Leo turned and left Karai alone. She sank to her knees and bowed her head, tears of defeat stinging her eyes. She was done for now. Without the Turtles' help, she was worse off than a lone sitting duck in a sea of hunters.

She sensed a presence and believed it was Leo. She felt hopeful. Perhaps he reconsidered? She looked up and saw Mikey instead. She hastily wiped her tears away and scowled.

"Has Leonardo sent you to kill me since he can not do so himself?" she asked testily. Mikey's eyes told her a different story and she changed her tune quickly.

"Why are you here, Michelangelo?"

"I'll still help you." he said simply, his voice deep and serious. "Tell me where Kano is hiding and I'll bring you his head."

"Leonardo says you are all leaving in the morning. There will not be enough time to find Kano until then." Karai said, standing up. Mikey grit his teeth and trembled with rage.

"I _don't_ care what Leo says! We'll make time! I **_MUST_** kill that d-mn bastard! I have to avenge Kameko! _I have to!_" Mikey said stiffly through clenched teeth.

Karai understood, feeling her confidence returning. She had at least one assassin left...

"Very well. I know of a man named Huel who knows of all Kano's sanctuaries. I do not know that man by his face, but you can help me find him. He lives in a village not far from here." Karai explained. "If anyone tries to stop us, kill them."

"Don't worry, I don't plan on being merciful. Not anymore..." Mikey hissed, flexing his fists.

"Retrieve the weapon I gave you and meet me outside." Karai said, observing how quickly Mikey disappeared into the shadows like a true ninja to do as he was told. She smiled. He was obeying better than Leonardo ever did, this was perfect!

Little did she know that Leo was watching all this the entire time...

* * *

Once Karai and Mikey were at the village where Huel lived, Leo wasted no time in revealing himself. Karai was a bit off guard since she was so pleased that she still had Mikey on her team and didn't pay attention to anyone following them.

"Finally showing yourself, huh?" Mikey asked, his demeanor worrying Leo. He was acting and sounding like Raph did back when he killed criminals out of pleasure, believing it was divine justice.

"Michelangelo, you can't go into that village like you're planning to. Karai wants you to just kill the people down there, but you can't do that. It isn't right. It-"

"Isn't right?! _Isn't right?!_" Mikey exploded then. "Was it alright for Kano to butcher Kameko before my eyes like that? Was it alright for Lotus to get killed too? Kano's men stopped me from getting at that bastard and I'm going to do what I have to!"

"Mikey, I told you to only kill if you have no other choice-"

"I have no other choice..."

"No, you do have a choice! I don't want you to kill for revenge! Nothing you do will bring Kameko back, do you understand me? Nothing!" Leo cried, but Mikey ignored him and shoved past him.

He grabbed his arm to stop him from going into the village, but Mikey rammed his elbow into Leo's plastron so hard it knocked the wind out of him.

"**_Uggghhh!_** Michelangelo!" Leo rasped, rubbing his chest. He couldn't let these people down like Huel said he did. Mariah was counting on him. He sure wasn't going to allow his baby brother to become his enemy.

"**_Just leave me alone!_**" Mikey snapped at him, but Leo wasn't going to do that. He hurried up behind him and bear-hugged him, lifting him off his feet.

Mikey struggled so hard that Leo was forced to put him into another choke-hold, but he made sure he was careful this time. He tried to carry him away, but Mikey sank his teeth deep into Leo's forearm.

Leo cried out and released him. He inspected his new wound and looked at Mikey with hurt disbelief. His baby brother spat contemptuously and sneered.

"You must enjoy strangling me, don't you?"

Leo was shocked at the way Mikey said that. It was similar to how Raph talked to him when they fought on that rooftop when Leo first discovered Raph was the Nightwatcher.

It was hard enough to have Raph being like that to him, but Mikey? The baby brother who always wanted hugs from him and happily gave hugs back? He couldn't lose Mikey to being another brother like Raph. What if Don turned on him too?

"I'm trying to stop you, Mikey. Not hurt you. And I said I was sorry for that other time. Please understand. I love you and always will. Please let me help you through your time of grief. Raph and Don are here for you too. Don't do this. We-"

Karai caught their attention as she stood between them. "Enough of this!" she said irritably. "We are not going to stand out here all night arguing! I must find the man named Huel immediately. He has information I want."

"I know him, Karai. I'll find the info you need. I don't want anymore killing. Especially not at this village." Leo said, prompting Karai to question him.

"Why? Kano's filthy elite soldiers live in that village. They must be destroyed!" Karai complained.

"I used to protect this village, Karai! I won't have you or Mikey harming them! You heard them yourself, Karai! They think I've abandoned them, remember?" Leo explained, frowning. He didn't expect nor wait for an answer from her.

"Just stay here, both of you. I'll be right back." Leo went to the village quietly. Of course Karai wasn't going to listen to someone she saw as her employee and trailed him.

Mikey was practically by Leo's side as they all entered the village. If Leo could get the info on where Kano was hiding, he wanted to hear it as soon as possible.

Leo couldn't complain of their presence since they all had to be silent. Once he was at Mariah's hut, he motioned to them that this was it. They entered without a sound and stealthily made their way through the home.

Leo knew how much these people despised Karai, so he roughly pushed on her shoulders to stay out of sight near Huel and Mariah's bedroom door. To his relief, she stayed put.

He entered with Mikey and pointed to Huel. Mikey understood and restrained him. Leo gently woke up Mariah, but she was already jolted out of her sleep by her husband's struggles to escape Mikey's grasp.

"L-Leonardo!" she gasped, clutching her bed sheets. "What is the meaning of this?!" Huel shouted angrily. Mikey dragged him out of bed and slammed him against a nearby wall, knocking a small night table over.

"You know where all Kano's hideouts are! Talk!" Mikey growled, pressing a blade from his inazuma hybrid weapon to the man's throat. Mariah's baby from a crib nearby began to cry from all the noise.

"Michelangelo!" Leo rushed over to yank the weapon away from the man's jugular. Mariah got up to soothe her crying baby and backed away as Leo approached her.

"Wh-what do you want?" she asked in fear. Leo felt horrible. This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Mariah used to adore Leo, now she was deathly afraid. This was all wrong.

"I can't believe there's more of you monsters!" Huel spat hatefully, causing Mikey to increase his bone-crushing grip. Huel yelped in pain and squirmed.

"Please Mariah, this isn't what it looks like." Leo tried to explain. "My brother and I are just trying to help you. We can stop Kano from controlling your village."

"Ha! How?" said an unconvinced Huel.

"By killing him. Just tell me where he is and we'll go." Mikey said in a scary mean tone, tightening his grasp on Huel's shoulders even more.

"Alright alright! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

Mikey only loosened his hold on Huel a little bit and the man quickly rambled on where Kano's secret sanctuaries were located. Leo hoped Karai was memorizing this info too just in case.

"I knew you would come back to save us..." Mariah said, her fear diminishing.

Finally seeing one of Leonardo's brothers was a sight to behold. He was larger and much more powerful looking. Surely he could take down Kano. At least she hoped so.

Many believed Kano to be possessed by some demonic entity and he couldn't be killed so easily. She prayed that Leonardo and his brother would be safe when they hunted for Kano.

"I would never abandon any of your people, Mariah." Leo said sincerely. Mariah's first fright and distrust melted away as she proudly showed her baby to him, who stopped crying when he saw Leo.

Intrigued by the Turtle's different appearance, the little baby boy grabbed Leo's green clawed digit and cooed happily. Mikey let Huel go and the man huffily fixed his tank top.

"Leo, let's go." Mikey said, heading towards the door. He wanted to go find Kano right now, not hang around here anymore. His vengeance couldn't wait.

Leo hugged Mariah goodbye and left quickly. Karai followed the Turtles out of the village and back into the jungle. Karai didn't like those fond looks that Mariah woman was giving to her Leonardo.

But Karai didn't have time to worry about such trivial things. She now had the locations of Kano's secret lairs and she would have Chaplin and his team plant bombs in all of them.

Surely Kano would reveal himself at one of these hideouts when they placed these bombs like he did last time. Then Karai would hide, observe, and wait until Kano believed he was safe to relax once more.

Then she would strike and she knew Michelangelo would make Kano suffer a long painful death. That was what she wanted for Kano. He stole her Foot clan and status from her AND her adopted sister, _plus_ Lotus, a very reliable assassin.

He would not get away with these things. No one ever crosses Karai and remains unscathed! With Michelangelo's help, she would return to her throne within the Foot clan and keep the Turtle in orange as her personal right-hand assassin.

As much as she loved Leonardo, she had trouble controlling him and he hardly just took orders. He would complain or nit-pick her plans.

He never just did as she said unless he approved of it first. It wasn't his place to approve of anything she asked of him. He was to take orders and carry them out. Not question them.

Michelangelo was different, well now he was. He took orders and did as he was told without any back talk. Karai knew why this was. He had always been a follower, never a leader. He was the perfect soldier for her Foot clan operations.

She practically could feel his hatred and willingness to kill. He would prove even more useful than Leonardo. She kept her thoughts to herself on this as she knew Leonardo most likely would not approve.

As they returned to Karai's Foot fortress, Leo made sure Mikey got some sleep. He didn't want him running around out there by himself trying to find Kano. He convinced Mikey that they should hunt for Kano with fresh minds after they got some rest first.

Mikey agreed since he was so exhausted, both emotionally and physically. Leo didn't want his brothers to be separated so once he got Mikey to bed down next to a still sleeping Don, he found Raph in deep brumation.

How was such a thing possible in the jungle? Raph, for one reason or another, had gone into the fortress' massive freezer. Perhaps he was trying to get away from the ungodly heat or he was trying to commit suicide, Leo didn't know.

Angry that he didn't watch him more closely, he scooped him up and took him outside into the jungle. He couldn't only be concerned about Mikey, he had to watch Raph too. The humid air wasn't enough to revive Raph.

Leo quickly made a fire and placed Raph near it. He shook and yelled at Raph to wake up as he rubbed his frozen skin to warm him up. 'I can't lose you too!' Leo thought, becoming more frantic as time went by and his little brother remained still.

Leo bit his lip as he stared down at Raph. He pushed against his rigid shoulders, hope fading. With tears dripping down his beak and onto Raph's face, Leo was inches away from his muzzle, desperately searching for signs of life.

He touched his face, the coldness reminding him how Lotus felt. This was just too much for Leo to stand. He broke down and cried hard, not just for Raph, but for Mikey, Kameko, and Lotus.

Leo gathered Raph up in his arms and hugged him hard to himself, screaming out his agony and frustrations. He recoiled into a ball, still holding onto his icy little brother.

"I am sorry..."

Leo's eyes widened as he heard Karai speak as she stood before him. He narrowed his eyes at her, not caring how his tears made him look 'undignified'. Leo suddenly believed that Karai truly was as uncaring at the Shredder himself.

He believed that before once, but dismissed it since she seemed to have feelings for him. The way she said she was sorry sounded like she was mocking him. She didn't really care, she never cared! She only wanted to use him and his brothers!

**And he allowed it!!!**

"_Sorry?!_ For what? It's clear that you don't have a heart, Karai...! You _don't_ have _any_ feelings at all! You're **_nothing_**, but an insensitive _monster_ just like the Shredder!" Leo roared, his voice sore and hoarse.

"My brother is _dead_ and the ones I have left are bordering on becoming insane! You destroy everything you come in contact with! _Why_ are you doing this to us?! _Why_ do you _keep_ hurting us?! Hurting _me_...?!"

Karai knew words wouldn't help her out of this one, so she decided she had to do her best to revive Raphael to calm Leonardo down. She bent down and touched Raph's neck, needing to find out something.

Leo stared at her bold move, flabbergasted. He yanked Raph away several moments later, but Karai was fairly sure she felt a weak slow heartbeat.

"He is not dead." she said simply. "Stop your weeping and bring him downstairs. My medical team can bring him out of that brumation. If we don't hurry, he truly will die. Come!"

Viciously enraged by her cold overconfident attitude, Leo disgustedly followed her downstairs so her people could warm Raph up and get him to wake up. He refused to leave when the medics ordered him to. He'd never leave Raph's side, especially not now.

All night he stayed with him, watching the doctors hook him up to machines, bringing his core temperature up, and giving him fluids from time to time. Reviving a mutant Turtle from the brink of death was a real delicate procedure.

When Don found Leo watching over Raph in the morning, Leo told him not to let Mikey find out. Don promised to keep Mikey busy, but when he went back to the room they slept in, he was gone!

Fretting, Don asked random workers in Karai's fortress if they had seen Mikey. To his relief, many of them said the same thing. They had seen Mikey going to a nearby town. At least Don had a clue to where Mikey had gone.

Putting on a disguise of a simple brown cloak, Don headed out. Rose caught up with him and wanted to go with him. He told her to help his big brother Raph instead.

He didn't know what kind of low-lives were in this jungle and he couldn't risk getting Rose hurt by having her tag along. He needed her to stay behind and be careful.

"Please Rose. You know what happened to Kameko..." Don said, convincing her to stay put. He did have a good point there. She had to stay alive for their new baby's sake.

There had been some times where she experienced terrible agony and blood loss the weeks she tested herself, but her colleagues assured her she was fine when they checked her.

She figured this must be how it is when carrying a growing child with mutant DNA so she dismissed the complications and didn't tell Don about the problems either. She didn't want to believe anything could go wrong...

"Alright, I'll stay here. I'll let you know when your brother wakes up."

"Please, do what you can. My brothers and I can't live without him. Michelangelo's already acting out of character and Leonardo is under so much stress, I fear he'll go insane too. Please watch them both for me, ok?" Don asked, holding her hands.

"I will. They are my brothers too now." she said, hugging Don tightly. He kissed her, nuzzling her fondly before pulling away. She watched him grow smaller down the dirt road as he headed into town. Then he was out of sight. 'Be safe...' she thought.

* * *

After almost an hour of searching, Donatello finally found Mikey in a bar that had such a depressing smoky atmosphere it made Don want to pass out and die.

Mikey was hunched over a table by himself clutching a bottle of Moonshine of all things. There were other glass bottles on the table, empty and tipped over in a mess. They weren't Moonshine, but much weaker beers and wines.

There was a pile of cigarette butts in an ashtray close by as well. Mikey took a long drag of his current cigarette and acknowledged Don's presence. Their eyes met and Mikey quickly turned his head away, bowing it lower as Don sat across from him.

Don sighed. He hated to see Mikey like this. It was almost like he knew what happened to Raph too. Either way, he had to console him and bring him back to his old self.

But Don feared this might be impossible. Mikey was acting just as bitter as that nightmare version Don was forced to see thanks to Draco and the Daimyo's son.

"Mikey, you have to stop this." Don started out carefully. "You know how long it took you to stop smoking the last time..."

After Master Splinter died, Mikey went through about five packs a day. Raph drank heavily and Mikey soon joined him in that. They ended up nearly killing each other several nights in a row when Leo snapped out of his grief to straighten them out.

He personally beat the crud out of them every time he saw them drunk or smoking. Eventually they stopped, going cold turkey on the smokes and not drinking to the point where they got stone drunk from it.

Don had a hard time not smoking himself thanks to all their second-hand smoke. Stupid nicotine, why did it have to be so tempting?

Will-power and Leo's iron rule keep them on a straighter path and they were doing alright until that horrid day April accused Raph of harming May...

"It calms my nerves, Donnie. Ok?" came the touchy surly reply.

Don couldn't back down. He had to be like Leo and correct Mikey. Don looked up to Leo and Raph for guidance on how to be a better older brother. He had to save Mikey from this deadly depression and bitter mind-altering hatred.

"If you won't do it for me, then do it for Master Splinter." Don said solemnly. Mikey's hand tightened around the Moonshine bottle as he scowled, grounding out his cigarette in one rough motion.

"Look at you! What would Father think if he saw you like how you are now? Please Mikey, just _stop_. I don't want to lose you too..." Don was shocked as Mikey suddenly flung the Moonshine bottle at the far wall angrily.

The glass bottle shattered into a thousand pieces as the alcohol stained the wall. The bartender saw this violent outburst and ordered both Turtles out. When Mikey appeared like he was going to attack the guy, Don led him away quickly.

Mikey started to storm off by himself. Don grabbed his shoulder, but received an ill-tempered whack from Mikey. Don shook his tingling bruised hand and narrowed his eyes.

"Michelangelo, I know you're still grieving over Kameko, but this new attitude of yours is going to kill you! I won't have you acting this way, do you understand me?" Don said, scolding him.

He knew he shouldn't be scolding him due to Mikey's unstable emotional state, but now Don was angry too. Mikey seemed to ignore him as he stomped away again. Don was frustrated and wished he knew how to turn Mikey around back to his true self.

"Alright, tell me! What do you want me to do? Kill Kano's stupid ninja with you? What will it take to make you normal again?! What will make you happy?! Come on, tell me!!" Don cried, chasing after him.

"**_Bring them back!_**" Mikey shouted, trembling with rage and sorrow. Don was taken back by this and stared.

"Them?" Don asked, confused now.

"Bring Master Splinter and Kameko back! That's what will make me happy again, Don! Just bring them back!"

Don was silent since he couldn't bring himself to say he couldn't do such a thing. He was only a mutant Turtle, not God. How he wished he could bring the dead back to life though...

He missed Master Splinter so much just like the rest of them. And that guilt of not being able to save Splinter made Don think lowly of himself and his scientific expertise. It was a horrible feeling, it made him feel like a worthless fool.

When Don wouldn't speak, Mikey gave him a sour glare before he said something himself. Something that stabbed Don right through his soul.

"Of course, you can't... You're just not smart enough." Mikey said hatefully before walking off again. As an emotional heartburn-like agony flooded Don's entire body, he couldn't hold back his swelling frustrations a second longer.

He let out a wild scream similar to ones Leo would shriek out when he was severely enraged. Mikey turned since he rarely heard Don howl like that and was rammed into a tree with Don pushing against his shoulders.

"How can you say **_that_** to me?!" Don cried, shaking with fury. "**How can you?!** I did what I could back then to save Master Splinter! I did the best I could! I didn't want him to die!!!"

"I don't care anymore..." Mikey said, turning his head to the side so he didn't have to look at his older brother. It was clear to tell that Mikey did care though.

"If you don't care, then take back what you said!" Don shouted, raising a fist over Mikey's face. Mikey shoved him off and shook his head, feeling so sick of all this.

"Ok, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, alright?!" Mikey yelled, scowling. "Just get off my shell!"

"I'm _**not**_ leaving you alone, Mikey! You need me, Leo, and Raph to help you through this!" Don said, still trembling. Mikey scoffed.

"Raph's dead, Don! Don't think I don't know that!" Mikey shot back, frowning. Don had a shocked expression on his face and was about to reply when someone found them.

"What a coincidence!" said a heavy familiar voice.

The Turtle brothers looked to where they heard the voice and saw Hun! They back-flipped away from the fast approaching huge goon and yanked out their weapons.

"So there's only three of you ugly shellbacks left, hm?" Hun said, grinning evilly. He cracked his knuckles as he rammed his fists together, ready to fight.

"Soon there'll be one and then none!" he shouted, slamming his fist towards them. The brothers jumped away and disappeared into the trees like the skilled ninjas they were.

Hun stupidly kept looking up into the same area where they disappeared from. "Come out and fight you little green cowards!" he cried, shaking his fists up at the trees.

Suddenly he received a blinding blow to the back of the skull. With stars exploding in his vision, he turned around to grab one of them, but Donatello was long gone by then.

A lightning fast sweep to Hun's legs sent the refrigerator-sized goon flat on his back then. Mikey had his inazuma hybrid weapon coiled around Hun's throat seconds afterwards.

"Where the h-ll is Kano?! Talk!!" Mikey shouted, tightening the bladed linked wooden handles harder.

Hun spat into his face and Mikey punched Hun so fast and hard that his teeth flew out of his mouth. Groaning, Hun passed out from that hit and his head fell back onto the dirt road.

They heard clapping and saw Karai approaching. "Very well done, Michelangelo." she praised, a slight smile on her lips. Then it was gone as her usual cold look returned. "Bring him to the fortress. I must have a talk with him."

The two Turtle brothers knew they couldn't let Hun go free so they took him back 'home'. Don hated to be doing more chores for Karai, but he had no choice this time. Hun couldn't be allowed to go free. Now what would happen?

**To Be Continued in Chapter 14!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**(What will Karai do with Hun now that he is their prisoner? Would the Turtles find Kano and restore proper order to the Foot clan? Will Raph wake up from his icy brumation? Will Mikey ever heal emotionally? ) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	14. Brotherly Love & Hatred

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.14

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote to Reviewer(s):**Many thanks to all my reviewers for your input on this story! Keep the feedback coming! ^.^  
See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

When Hun woke up, he was in some chamber and restrained to the wall with several lengths of chain. "What the h-ll?!" he bellowed and tried to break the chains.

In an instant, he was smacked in the face with a combo of metal blades and wooden bars. Shaking his head, blood flew from his fresh wounds.

"Be still and listen well, Hun." Karai said, appearing from seemingly nowhere. Hun saw the Turtle that had viciously attacked him at Kano's citadel. What was that one's name again?

Hun didn't try to remember which one was which since he planned on ending their existence eventually. For some reason, crushing those stupid shellbacks always seemed to be a problem. Hun had a hard time getting rid of them.

"Karai!" he cried, stifling a laugh. "I can't believe you've lowered yourself to the point of asking these _dumb_ animals to help you. How pathetic! Heh heh - **_OOF!_**"

Michelangelo ninja-kicked the goon in the gut with such force that Hun could barely believe it. He didn't know they could get _this_ ridiculously strong. He thought the last battle was a fluke of some sort. But he was wrong. He hated being wrong.

"Like I said, be quiet or else I'll let Michelangelo have his way with you." Karai said, smug and proud. With even one of the Turtles, she was practically invincible.

"Michelangelo? I thought this one was Raphael or whatever the h-ll his name is, er I mean- was. Heh heh!" Hun giggled evilly. Mikey double slapped the moron to the right then left with his inazuma hybrid, the links leaving deep welts.

Finally Hun was quiet at last as he glared at them menacingly. He had only one thing left to say. "What do you want, Karai?"

"You know what!" she scowled, her features tightening hatefully. "I want what is mine and mine alone! Once your accursed leader Kano is dead, you have two options from which to choose..."

"You can't kill Kano, you stupid b-tch! He's an Immortal! A demon of death! You're the one who's gonna be dead! You-" Hun wasn't allowed to finish once Karai 'signaled' Mikey.

He gladly began to slash and pummel Hun with his claws and fists until Hun cried out the words Karai wanted to hear. Bloody and barely able to breathe, Hun choked up some blood before he repeated his surrender.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you where Kano is right now! I'll even tell you where his secret chambers are!" Hun begged, about to pass out again. Donatello was watching several feet away, shaking his head slightly.

Is this what they had been reduced to? Hired guns for Karai? Mikey sure was acting the part pretty well. Don didn't stop him from going postal on Hun since that jerk deserved such a beating.

"If you set us up in any way shape or form..." Karai warned, raising her hand. If she dropped it, that was the 'signal' for Mikey to attack again.

"No no! I'm not doing anything like that!" Hun lied, putting on a good act to get them to believe him. Once they set him free, he would snap that skinny little Karai in half...

"Good." Karai said, swishing her hand upwards fast to show she was calling off the attack 'signal'. Mikey crossed his arms and glared viciously at Hun.

"Tell us where that bastard is hiding... **_NOW!_**" Mikey shouted, making Karai jump in surprise. She shrugged it off and gave Hun a dangerous look as she unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Hun.

"Talk or be gutted." she said coolly. Hun hid a sneaky smile by turning his head to the side. He would make them waste their time by getting them to go to the wrong hideouts while Kano escaped back to the United States.

Hun put on a serious mean expression and proceeded to tell them where Kano's abandoned lairs were. Like the fools he knew they would be, they believed him. Karai immediately called her men then.

She planned to destroy those lairs with Michelangelo right then and ordered Donatello to go too. Not wanting Mikey to go on a mission by himself, Don reluctantly agreed to go.

Once they were gone, Hun snickered to himself. 'D-mned idiots.' he thought as he clenched his teeth down hard, activating a device in a special 'tooth' calling for assistance.

Not long after, a lone elite Foot ninja appeared in the chamber. He freed Hun from the chains and they escaped undetected. Hun was going back to the USA as well. By the time Karai figured that out, it would be too late.

Kano would be pleased that Hun got her to go on such a wild goose chase. She would waste her time and limited man power and weaken her own defenses for nothing! Hun couldn't stop laughing. What idiotic fools they were!

* * *

Raph slowly opened his eyes, groaning. He was very disorientated and it took him several moments to remember what had happened. Oh yeah...

He had gone into the freezer, hoping the extreme cold would numb his aching grievous soul. Eventually he felt himself going into brumation, but he didn't make any attempts to leave. He was too upset to go on. Besides, the cold did help him forget how miserable he felt.

First he had to give up on April, the first real human he and his brothers ever saw in their young lives. Before they had only seen people in magazines or on TV.

While Don and Mikey drooled excessively over the hot models from the swimsuit channel and mags, Raph kept to himself on such matters. No need letting the guys find out his weakness for the ladies.

Girls always got to him, making feel shy and unsure, unable to make the next move. He hated feeling like that. It made him think he was less tough or something. What he felt for April wasn't that silly puppy-love his baby brothers often felt.

He really loved April, she was so kind and caring of him. When he was ganged up on by the Foot clan and knocked unconscious, April stayed by his side while his brothers fought off the Foot ninja.

When Casey joined the crew, April seemed to hate him at first, but then she was crazy for him. Raph knew giving up on her was the right thing to do then. He supported Casey and April's relationship, helping it grow and blossom despite his feelings.

Over time, he hardened his heart and made himself not care about having a love interest. He kept himself busy by putting criminal scum-bags in jail and hanging out with his brothers. Love, pah! Worthless time-wasting junk.

So he made himself believe that for many years. Then Lotus came along and shattered that wall he put up around his heart, a wall he thought was made of concrete. But Lotus brought it down like glass.

Raph's forlorn cold soul had been rekindled, like a smoldering fire bundle being brought back to life. He really enjoyed being with Lotus and he was beginning to fall in love with her.

He was ready to move on and not feel so horrible from losing April. Lotus had filled the painful gap in his heart, a hole he tried covering by himself, but failed.

Everything was almost getting better for him, where he could smile out of the blue and mean it. He was truly happy.

Then she was taken from him, abruptly ripping his happiness away. Happiness that eluded him again. Happiness that seemed like he wasn't even allowed to have at all...

How this happiness could be torn away from him again made Raph bitterly remember how unfair the world was. Everything was against him it seemed. When would this persecution end?

"Raph!" cried Leo, holding his hand and shaking his shoulder. Raph groaned and turned his head away as tears burned his eyes. Great, now he was crying!

He didn't want Leo to see him like this. It was bad enough that he did earlier when they put Lotus and Kameko on their death beds. He roughly pushed Leo's hands off him and shook with more silent sobs.

Why did they have to bring him back anyway? He almost escaped that torment he felt in his heart, but now he had to feel it again. What good was he now? He didn't believe he could pull himself out of this heartache this time...

"Raph... I know you miss Lotus..." Leo began, taking a deep breath and looking away. "I... I miss her too." Raph covered his face with his right hand in misery as tears continued to flow.

"But you shouldn't have tried to commit suicide. We can't live without you, we need you. I...need you." Leo said softly, looking at his little brother once more.

"If I had to choose between you or Karai... I'd pick you."

Raph's eyes widened. A warm joy touched his soul when he heard Leo say that. Then Leo's arms embraced him, his face buried into the side of Raph's neck in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright now..." Leo whispered. Raph numbly hugged him back the best he could in his condition. Leo thought Raph was alright, but he was wrong. Raph wasn't alright and he wasn't sure if he'd ever be 'alright' again either.

* * *

It took two days and several teams of Karai's Foot ninja to seek out and destroy Kano's deserted lairs. Don helped Mikey search them all for Kano, but of course he wasn't at any of them.

When Don and Mikey found out Raph was still alive, Don gave him a happy loving hug like Leo had. But Mikey held back and sourly told him that he made him worry and mourn for nothing.

Leo was appalled by Mikey's words and doubly appalled by Raph's response. He gave him 'the finger' and said he was glad that that annoying Kameko was dead.

Raph never trusted her and saw her death as a blessing in a way. She would only ruin Mikey in the end. How? He would only care about her and not them, that's how. His loyalty to their brotherhood would be gone forever.

So Raph said good riddance to Shredder's bastard of a daughter. Naturally, that fired up Mikey so badly that he really tried to kill Raph right there and then. Don had to tear and yank him off with his bo staff in front of Mikey's chest.

Leo yelled at both of them to calm down and for Raph to apologize, which he refused to do. Why should he say sorry? Kameko was going to take Mikey away from them! She was evil in Raph's eyes.

Don did his best to hold Mikey back with his weapon, but he was losing his grip on his bo, which was keeping Mikey from attacking Raph again. Finally to Don's relief, Mikey gave up and broke down instead.

He sank to his knees and wept himself ragged. Leo ordered Don to take Mikey away and to watch him closely. Once they left, Leo glared at Raph.

"I know you're upset too, Raph, but you had _**NO**_ right telling Mikey that you're glad Kameko's dead! What's wrong with you? Mikey's going through a hard time just like you! Why'd you make it worse?!" Leo shouted, breathing hard.

He felt he was going to go mad from all this. Keeping his brothers together now was more difficult than when he came back from his training as a teen.

Frustrated, Raph kicked the small table near his bed over. The items on it crashed to the floor, creating a huge mess. Raph gave Leo a hard stare. He had better tell him why he was glad Kameko was dead or else Leo would never stop nagging him.

"Kameko was stealing Mikey away from us, Leo! If he could stay with her, he'd forget all about us! Don't you get it? We would lose him forever!" Raph shouted back, growling.

"I don't say this often, not even to Mikey... But I...I love him, d-mn it! I can't see my life...-our lives without him. I could tell that that Kameko dame was going to take him away from us. He would gladly leave us too and then what? If we needed his help, he'd have every right to tell us to stick it because he'd have his own family to protect and care for."

Leo stared at Raph in disbelief. He didn't really think of all that nor that it could happen easily. But he would accept it with a heavy heart. If Mikey was happier with Kameko than with his brothers, then so be it.

Sadly, it never would be anyway. Now Leo comprehended why Raph was glad Kameko died, but he was being selfish. He couldn't expect or force Mikey to stay in the brotherhood should he want to leave.

"I understand what you mean, Raph. Unfortunately we can't make Mikey stay with us if he is happier with someone else. You're afraid he'll go away and never come back. That's not true. Mikey loves us and he would make time for us no matter what." Leo said with a hand on Raph's shoulder.

"Aww..." Raph scowled, avoiding Leo's eyes as he squeezed his shut. "D-mn it! You're right, Leo. Jeez, I'm such an as-hole. I'm sorry..."

"You should be saying that to Michelangelo, not me." Leo said, patting his shoulder then. Raph sighed hard, knowing it wouldn't be easy since he really wounded Mikey this time. But he had to do it regardless.

He got up and Leo followed him. Raph grew annoyed. What was with him? He wasn't some kid needing a chaperone for this! He growled and glared at Leo.

"Hey, I want to do this alone. I'm a big brother too, you know. I don't need your help." Raph said testily. Leo was worried that Raph and Mikey might fight again, that was why he was going with him.

But he decided to trust them to Donnie this time. He couldn't be the referee all the time. He had other things to do such as making sure Mariah's village was safe and getting back home to New York.

"Alright then." Leo said simply and let Raph go. 'Please don't mess this up, Raph.' he thought as his little brother went around a corner and was out of sight.

Don had left Mikey alone when he asked him to get him some water. Mikey had stopped sobbing, but he had become even more bitter than before.

When he heard someone coming into the room, he turned expecting to see Don. But Raph was there instead wearing his usual frown. Mikey narrowed his eyes at him and angrily turned away with his shell facing him.

"Get out." Mikey said stiffly. Just having Raph near him made him instantly relive the pain he gave him moments earlier when he said he was happy Kameko got butchered. Raph's hateful words replayed in Mikey's mind over and over.

"Look Mikey, I'm really sorry for what I said." Raph said in a rush. "I was wor-"

Mikey whirled around and shoved past Raph, knocking him into the wall in the process. Naturally Raph got angry and grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving.

"Listen to me! I'm sorry!" Raph said, but Mikey wouldn't listen to him. First Leo betrayed him, now Raph. When would Don abandon him? Mikey yanked his arm loose and kept walking away, heading for outside.

"Would you just listen?! D-mn it, Mikey! Stop walking off! I'm trying to apologize here! Come on!" Raph shouted.

"**LEAVE ME THE H-LL ALONE!!!**" Mikey roared, throwing a punch to Raph's face, but he caught it. Raph caught Mikey's other fist and struggled against him.

"Mike, just listen! I was scared that Kameko would take you away from us, ok?! I don't want you to leave us, not for anybody! I care for you too much to let you go! Do you hear me?! I love you!!" Raph shouted, forcefully pitching Mikey's fists down and throwing his arms around his baby brother.

Mikey let Raph hug him for a few moments before he shrugged him off. He couldn't hug him back, his words hurt him too much. Right now, forgiving him wasn't an option. He wasn't sure if he could ever forgive him.

Normally, Mikey would have relished getting a rare exclusive hug from Raph, but what he said about Kameko cut deep into Mikey. It made him feel worse that he couldn't find it in his heart to forgive him.

He ached emotionally so much so that he wanted to weep, but he couldn't since he had no tears left to shed. There was no relief even that way now. He worried if he even loved Raph anymore...

Such a feeling was alien to him. He had always loved Raph before. Did Kameko really create a wedge between him and his brothers? Was it a bad thing? Was he wrong for loving Kameko more than his brothers?

"I'm not sure if I can forgive you, Raph..." Mikey said so softly that Raph could barely hear him. But he did and felt sick to his stomach. He was filled with regret for saying how he felt about Kameko then. He should have just kept his beak shut!

"Well, maybe after a while you can forgive me, because I'm really truly sorry. I-" Raph tried to say, but Mikey cut him off.

"No, I don't think I can ever forgive you." Mikey said, looking him directly in the eyes. Raph saw something in his eyes that he never saw before. It was...animosity.

It wasn't that look of regular anger Raph often saw from all his brothers, but a look of true hatred and disgust. Raph backed away, feeling confused and upset.

"Jeez, you're looking at me like you hate me or something." Raph said uneasily, avoiding his baby brother's scary glaring.

"Maybe I do..." Mikey said testily. Raph sighed hard and shook his head. This had gone too far.

"Ok, hate me then. I'll still love you though no matter what. Alright?" Raph waited for an answer but got none. 'He just needs some time. I'll try again later on.' he decided and started to walk away when he saw Don.

He avoided his other baby brother's eyes and left all together, going outside. Don watched from afar and heaved a tired sigh. Mikey's fists were tightly clenched at his sides and were trembling furiously.

"Mikey?" Don said, hoping he was still somewhat sane. He had witnessed most of Raph and Mikey's altercation and he felt badly for them both. He had to help them, but Mikey first.

"Don, why do I feel like this?" Mikey said in a teary tone. "I _want_ to be normal again, but I _don't_ know how! D-mn it all! I just don't know how!"

"You're upset, Mikey. You need to calm down. Let's try meditating, alright?" Don suggested carefully.

"I can't."

"I'll give you a nice calming sedative then. Maybe you can meditate once you have one. Ok? Alright?" Don felt less worried when Mikey slightly nodded his head. Don put his arm around Mikey's shell and led him away.

After Mikey took the sedative Don gave him, he felt better. He was also feeling drowsy as well and while they meditated, Mikey dozed off. Don figured he'd let his baby brother sleep instead so he put him to bed.

"You just need time to heal, my brother..." Don said softly, even though Mikey was asleep. "You'll be your old happy self again. I'll help you in any way I can. Sleep well, Mikey."

**To Be Continued in Chapter 15!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**(_Will Mikey ever find it in his heart to forgive Raph? What scheme does Kano have in store for the Turtles back in New York?_ Next chapter will feature Donatello where Chaplin gets his sister Rose to hate poor Don! Fans of the fifth 'Turtle', Zach and Slash- keeping reading, they'll appear in the story eventually as well!) Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	15. Rose Chaplin Dumps Donatello

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.15

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

While Rose was working in the laboratories, her brother's good friend James Walker walked in. He had been very concerned for Rose due to her complications with her pregnancy.

James had always liked his best friend's sister ever since they met in college, but he never had the nerve to tell her so. Then out of the blue, Rose was pregnant.

Feeling defeated and stupid, James wished he told Rose his feelings sooner. But now she was heavy with a child and probably married too. He almost wished whoever Rose was with would divorce her so he could be with her instead.

Hoping to try and make that happen somehow, James decided to question Rose about her 'husband' as soon as he could work up the nerve for it. Regardless, he had to give her some test papers.

"Hello, Rose." James said, handing her the recent tests done on her fetus. He didn't look at them since it wasn't any of his business. He didn't mind caring for a step-child should it come to that. He simply wanted Rose at any cost.

"Oh, hi, James." Rose said, feeling sick again. She wondered if this pregnancy was worth all the trouble with these horrible complications. She looked at the latest tests, including a detailed memo from her female colleague Kelly on her ultrasound.

Rose had passed out during that ultrasound for some reason and Kelly noted what she saw. Rose took a few moments to read the memo and was a little alarmed.

The fetus seemed to be developing a calcified growth over it, like an egg shell, and a strange hump on its back. Rose began to worry if this baby would look more like a turtle than a human.

But how could Don's mutant DNA force away the human DNA in this fetus? They were both human, how could the mutated animal DNA be that strong?

"What's wrong?" James asked, seeing the upset look on her face.

"James, can you help me?" Rose asked then. She had to have more tests done right away. She had to find out why this fetus was following the mutated DNA's code so much.

"Of course! What do you need?" he asked, happy to have her attention. Rose explained to him what she wanted done and showed him the tests results Kelly came up with.

James looked over the papers and was confused too. The DNA involved here had way too much animal code in it to be human. What the heck was going on here? Who was Rose's husband anyway??

"Rose, I was meaning to ask you since I heard you were enceinte, but I didn't get around to it. Who exactly is your husband?" James asked, finding this was a good time to ask such.

"Husband?" Rose stared at him like he was crazy, then laughed. "Oh, James! I don't have a husband! Though, Donatello and I have talked about marriage, he's not my husband."

James thought he heard wrong. Did she say Donatello?? That anthropomorphic terrapin creature? Chaplin had been going on and on how those mutated terrapins would be the end of them all.

James was wary of them since he knew Karai only had them around to kill her enemies. They were her special assassins.

He loved animals actually, but he believed the Ninja Turtles were dangerous beasts and they couldn't really be trusted (like cats). But Rose had intercourse with one of them!

And an abomination was growing inside her that was killing her! No wonder she had so many complications.

Chaplin often warned James to steer clear of the Turtles due to the fact that you can't trust savage wild animals. Chaplin didn't care if they had an ounce of human DNA, they were still uncivilized beasts to him.

There's nothing human about them. That was what Chaplin said. James could tell that the Turtles never were humans to begin with. He had seen mutations where real people were turned into animals so he could tell the difference.

The way the Turtles carried themselves and their lack of cleanliness easily convinced James of what Chaplin said many times during the months they worked around those creatures.

James wanted to be sure that the Turtles were indeed just animals by observing them from a distance. If they were really truly humans before, he wanted to cure them.

But that would be wasteful if they were never human to start with. Out of scientific curiosity, James studied them from afar. Being a devoted animal lover, he learned all he could on the animal kingdom.

So he knew how real animals behaved, especially reptiles which were his favorite types of animals. He was also a big fan of the dinosaurs. James even had pet turtles as a kid, so he knew a lot about them.

When Karai's team was briefly on Kameko's island, James remembered things he saw even though he wasn't directly studying the Turtles at that time.

Each of the Turtles marked their territories both like how a reptile and human would, but they honored the reptile way more so. Intrigued despite Chaplin's warnings, he watched them more.

More than once, he had seen them all basking on a single rock, one on top of another. Two of them had tucked their limbs and heads almost completely inside their shells, which James thought was amazing since their limbs were so much longer than a regular turtle. Fascinating!

When they fought, there was more biting and clawing then simple punches and kicks. He didn't remember much civilized talk being entertained between them before a fight broke out. Animals never talked, they just attacked whenever they felt like it.

They seemed oblivious to keeping clean and tidy. Their standards for such was much lower than a normal human would stand. They went the bathroom wherever they pleased outside. A lot.

James saw all these things as indicators that they were never humans to start with and they did not need a cure to return them to being human.

James felt worried about Rose then. Did she willingly accept this bestiality? He had to find out otherwise he would have to place his eyes on a different girl who wasn't into animals like _that_.

"Wait a nano-second. Did you say Donatello? The mutant that Karai has working for her?" James asked, feeling weird.

"Yes, that's him. Why? Is there something I should know about him?" Rose asked, becoming worried by the strange look on James' face.

"You know that he's a turtle, right?"

"Yes, I know that. I'm not stupid." Rose shot back, getting annoyed. How dare he insult her like that? She wasn't stupid! She got up from her chair and began to walk away towards the door.

"And you know that he wasn't born a human being too, right?" James went on. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What do you mean he's not a human being?" she asked, not wanting to believe it at first. But slowly the test results began to make sense, much to her building dread.

"Rose, it's pretty clear that Donatello was never a human to begin with." James started to say, but Rose already knew what he meant.

It all came crashing down on her. Had she really fallen in love with an animal? Had she? She thought Donatello was a man, a human man mutated by turtle DNA, not a real turtle mutated by human DNA! This was really bad...

When she learned about how some sick people liked to rape animals, naturally she was very opposed to it. Bestiality was a major sin to her and now she had done it herself!

Not like she had raped Donatello or anything, but it was still scary and frightening to her now that she knew what she really had done. Like her brother, she didn't see how any human DNA could make an animal civilized or on par with her kind.

She wished she knew this before she got involved with Donatello. He acted so human regardless though, his charming wit was so overwhelming that she couldn't resist him. He was strong, passionate, and fun to be around.

She should have known things couldn't have been that perfect without some sort of catch. Her perfect lover had been a simple pet shop turtle in the beginning who had mutated into this wonderful charming extremely intelligent man-like creature.

Rose had accepted him for his sweet personality and smarts. But she could no longer accept him now knowing WHAT he was...

"I'm sorry, Rose. I thought you knew..." James said as Rose collapsed in a chair and began to cry. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least the girl of his dreams wasn't THAT kind of a person. "I didn't mean to make you feel worse."

"I've got to ask him and make sure." Rose said suddenly, wiping her eyes and standing up fast. She hurried to the door. James went after her.

"I'll go with you." he offered. She stopped him, shaking her head. "No, I've got to do this alone." she said and left. Fearing she might invoke a violent eruption out of Donatello, he decided to follow in order to protect her.

Chaplin had given him a prototype of his control collars to use in an emergency. He had told James that this collar was the one Bishop had Leatherhead make to use on the Turtles for good reasons.

But in reality, it was made by Chaplin himself and was a torment collar that would electrocute and stab the poor Turtles into obeying. James thought he was taking orders from Bishop by doing this, since he would never willingly abuse an animal (or person for that matter).

Chaplin told him to use the collar on Donatello first since he wanted to see if it would work on him especially. But why Don?

Since he was the only Turtle to go into an incredibly advanced mutated stage and gain ungodly massive amounts of strength instantly. The collars should be able to control such a beast and Bishop wanted his experiment to go well.

Plus, he wanted to extract more DNA from Don to create a new breed of super soldiers to combat his enemies and any possible alien invasions.

Chaplin would gain tons of cash from Bishop if he could successfully control Donatello while he's in an advanced mutated stage. He came up with an anti-cure as well, though he wanted to use it on Leonardo at first, he would use it on Don to keep him away from his sister for good.

But now he might not need to for that reason since Rose finally knew what Don was. Still Chaplin would send the anti-cure to Bishop to earn even more money. What Bishop didn't have, he would pay a lot to get.

James kept out of sight from Rose as he trailed her to a room the Turtles used as their training area.

* * *

In the training room, Don was trying to help Raph forget his sorrow for the moment by asking him to train with him. Leo was keeping an eye on Mikey in the meantime, training him outside.

Don poked fun at Raph, trying to get him to play-fight, but instead Raph got ticked off and tackled him to the floor. Beating the crud out of Don actually made Raph feel a lot better, which surprised him.

He didn't think he ever could feel anything slightly positive again. The beating became the play-fight Don wanted and they rolled around on the floor laughing. Don was glad to hear Raph laugh again even though it came with a beat-down price tag.

During a scuffle, Raph belted Don in the gut again and the Turtle in purple declared the play-fight over. "Let's take a breather, ok?" Don asked, putting his hands together signaling a 'time out'.

"Aww, you're a wimp, Don. I only cracked two of yer ribs. You can take more. A LOT more... Come here!" Raph said, knocking him down again and proceeded to tickle him.

"Oh no! S-stop! Stop it! Haha haha! Knock it off!" Don cried, curling up, but Raph still got at his sides.

"Make me, laughing-boy!" Raph said, playfully punching his shoulder over and over hard.

Don's aching left shoulder couldn't take much more, so he moved away, but got punched in the chest instead. It hurt pretty badly so Don whipped out his right leg and knocked Raph down.

"Can we please stop now?" Don asked, rubbing his chest. He was getting tired of play-fighting. At least with training, he could dodge attacks.

Play-fights involved a lot of contact and with Raph, that meant a lot of pain period. Raph scoffed and went to get his sais were he left them.

"Sheesh, Don. Even Leo can take a beating better than you. You're slacking off again." Raph complained and got into a fighting stance.

"Well, you can 'whip' me back into shape tomorrow. I think you knocked some of my teeth loose." Don said, then smirked. "You're a maniac, you know that."

"Better than being a fluffy d-mn wimp jerk-off like you." Raph spat back with a similar fond grin. "With the way you fight, you might as well be a girl, Don. Or should I call you Donna?"

'Come on, Donnie. Attack me! If you don't, _I'll_ attack you instead. And you **_don't_** want that...' he thought, his hands twitching, making the sais dance.

"Nice try, Raph. But I'm tired. It's been two hours now and... At least I think it has been that long." Don said, looking at his watch. But it was busted. "Shell! You screwed up my watch too! Thanks a lot Raph. I-"

Raph slammed him to the floor and made his sais come dangerously close to his face on purpose. Don kicked him off and Raph happily dodged his younger brother's angry leg strikes.

"You ain't going soft on me, bro! Not now, not ever!" Raph said, feeling that excited rush he got whenever he was winning a training match. He was slowly feeling like his old self again. He was grateful to Don for this.

"Come on, right here! If you can make me bleed, THEN I'll let you go!" Raph pointed to his chin and stuck it out, withdrawing as Don's bo came close.

"You asked for it!" Don cried, swinging over and over. Raph was really enjoying himself again since he had the upper hand here. Then that wench Rose had to show up.

"Hello? Am I disturbing you?" she asked, distracting Raph for a second since he thought she was an intruder and was planning on how to attack correctly when Don nearly took his jaw off.

Swearing every cuss word in the book at least five times, he viciously kicked Don in the gut hard. He crashed to the floor with a heavy thud and cry of pain.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." Rose said, trying to leave. Don suddenly forgot his pain, hurried back to his feet and went to her. Raph spat out the blood flooding his mouth and glared. 'B-tch!'

"Since you're bleeding, I get to go. Thanks for the workout, Raph!" Don said, leaving with Rose. Raph flipped him their version of 'the finger' and decided to beat the crud out of the punching bag close by.

Believing it was Rose's head made him feel better as he shot his fists at it mercilessly. Don took Rose to his room since that's where they went to be alone.

As soon as the door closed, he smothered her with hugs and kisses. She numbly hugged him, but was deathly afraid of hearing what she dreaded to be the truth.

If he said he was indeed a turtle before and not a human, then she would be forced to cut off _everything_ with him.

Everything, including the fetus. It had to be aborted. She didn't want to since she loved him, but how could she be in love with an animal?

If he was an animal, then it would be wrong for her to be with him. She just couldn't allow herself to love any animal like a real man...

"What's wrong, Rose?" Don asked, confused to her lack of desire to cuddle and kiss him back. Rose let out a shaky sigh and wanted to lay her head against his chest, but what if he was really an animal to begin with?

She shouldn't even be touching him! She really didn't want to find out even though she was pretty sure of the truth anyway. It just didn't make any sense.

How could an animal act so human and be so perfect as a lover to her? Was she one of those sick weird disturbing bestial people? All her friends would think poorly of her and disassociate themselves from her instantly.

They would spread the word and she would be ridiculed. Her brother would disown her surely, her whole family would. She rather lose Donatello than suffer that humiliation, though that was hard for her.

She loved him, but she could not accept him for what he was. So she probably did not really love him, though her heart kept screaming at her otherwise. No, it was better this way. She must break up with him. She had to!

"Don... Donatello, I must know... Before you mutated, what were you?" Rose asked seriously, confusing him. Didn't she know? It was kinda obvious.

"What was I? This isn't a trick question, is it?" Don felt strange as he saw the look of distress in her eyes.

"Um, well, I was a turtle. A baby red-eared slider turtle actually. Though my red markings faded some, that's what I was before I mutated. Why?"

Rose began to sob, covering her mouth with her hand. Don put his arms around her bewildered, but she shoved him away.

"NO! Don't touch me!" she screamed, shaking her head before tearing open the door and running out of the room. Don chased after her, demanding an explanation.

"What's the matter with you, Rose?" he shouted, grabbing her shoulders to stop her from fleeing. She sobbed with her head turned to the side before she finally summoned the courage to tell him.

"Ohh, Don...! I-I...I never knew you were an animal before! I never knew!" Rose cried, tears spilling down her face. Leo and Mikey had just returned from their sparring matches outside and heard Rose's cries, so they listened in.

"What's the big deal that I was an animal before? So what?" Don asked, still confused though he knew this meant something bad. He could sense it.

"I can't have a baby with an animal!" Rose shot back and shook her head as she repeated, "I can't! I just can't!" Don had a terrible sinking feeling then as he stared at the distraught lady he loved.

"What are you saying?" he asked as calmly as he could, struggling with his rising emotions.

"I can't be with you, Donatello! And I-I'm aborting the fetus too!" Rose stammered.

"_**WHAT?!**_" Don roared, blown away that she would actually go and kill the baby like that. The baby was innocent! Why kill him or her? "You can't do that!"

"It's over, Donatello! We're finished!" Rose shouted, then tore free from his hands which he left hanging in mid-air, shaking.

She was gone quickly and Don fell to his knees in shock, disbelief, and anguish. She dumped him for being a turtle? He thought she loved him! Maybe he thought wrong...

Leo and Mikey came up behind him, intensifying Don's misery. Had they witnessed all that? It was obvious they did when Leo spoke.

"I'm sorry, Don."

Blinking back his tears, Don slowly stood back up. He felt worse than Mikey then. At least Kameko heartily accepted Mikey for what he was, but Rose sure didn't. If only he was human, then he could be with Rose.

But why should he need to change? He didn't ask to be what he was. There was nothing wrong with what he was too. He shouldn't need to change! Rose didn't want him so that meant she wasn't worth it.

It just was hard to make his heart believe that...

"So am I..."

"Don, stay. Let's talk." Leo said carefully as he saw his younger brother heading for the doors that led outside. He didn't want Don committing suicide like Raph tried to.

"Talking will only make me feel worse. I...sigh I just need some air."

"Don, please. Don't go. We can talk this out. We-" Leo began, but Don turned around quickly.

"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, OK?!" Don shouted angrily, then turned to leave but suddenly Raph was there and in his way.

"You ain't going nowhere, Donnie. Get your tail back in your room and stay there so Leo can talk with ya!" Raph ordered.

"Leave him the h-ll alone, Raph! You can't make him talk about it! If that happened to me, I sure shell wouldn't want to talk about it! Just leave him alone!" Mikey shouted then, not liking how his older brothers were pushing Don like that.

The brothers were all silent as an uneasy atmosphere settled over them. Don didn't want to cry in front of his brothers, especially not Mikey or Raph.

Mikey was looking to him for support, so he had to be strong for him. Raph would just use his tears as a sign of weakness and tease him mercilessly about it later.

It was alright for Raph to cry in front of the others, but not Don since Raph would use it against him in the future. Plus if Don teased Raph about his tears, Raph would beat the ever-living crud out of him. Not like Don would want to tease Raph on such a thing anyway.

Don wasn't comfortable about crying in front of Leo either since he felt as if Leo saw him as a second-in-command and an equal even. He knew how Leo treated Raph and Mikey on more belittling levels, but he rarely did so to Don.

Even though he was his baby brother like the others, Don didn't care to be babied. Mikey might like that sort of thing from Leo, but not Don.

He so wanted to give them a niece or nephew, but now he couldn't. Rose wanted the baby aborted. No...he couldn't let her do that! If he could get the fetus before Rose had it killed, he could have it grow artificially and save it!

He took off to the laboratories, leaving his brothers behind. Leo and Raph yelled for him to come back, but he couldn't. He had to save his child before it was too late!

**To Be Continued in Chapter 16!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**(_Will Don be able to save the fetus before Rose has it aborted? Will James put the control collar on Don to stop him?_ Also in the next chapter Karai tries to use Mikey as a love interest to punish Leo for ignoring her and the Turtles prepare to return home.) Fans of the fifth 'Turtle', Zach and Slash- keeping reading, they'll appear in the story eventually as well! Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	16. Save the Fetus & Karai Seduces Mikey

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.16

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. I know this chapter is a bit rushed, but I want to get the Turtles back to New York ASAP to write out my other plots while my 'muse' is gearing to go. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

As Don raced down the hallway to where Rose went, he nearly tripped over something. Or someone. He looked down and to his horror, saw Rose collapsed upon the marble flooring unconscious.

He tried to revive her, but it was easy to see there was something terribly wrong with her. Instantly, he scooped her up and quickly took her to the infirmaries. James had been watching from a distance and he was by Don's side as he carried Rose.

Short touchy words were exchanged, but they both knew this was not a time for talk. Rose needed to be examined right away. Once Don viewed the results, he knew he had to do immediate surgery to save Rose and the baby.

James felt awkward helping Don with the surgery, but he would do anything to save Rose as well. Since James respected life, he aided Don in placing the fetus in an artificial womb.

But things were not going well for the fetus. It was hanging on by a thread and it most likely wouldn't survive. Don didn't want to see that reality and became disillusioned quickly.

If he tried hard enough, he could save this baby from dying. He didn't care how hopeless it seemed, he had to try! At least Rose was stable now.

Seeing how badly this was affecting Don, James felt sorry enough to want to help him. Maybe Bishop could provide some sort of assistance? Certainly Bishop would be interested in something like this, so James left to talk to him in private.

Bishop was more than interested, he wanted to talk to Donatello himself and offer him a deal. Though Bishop wasn't going to explain all the details of what he wanted from Don, he would simply tell him that he could save the fetus no matter what, even if it wasn't true.

Then surely that terrapin creature would come running to him like a fool and then Bishop would at finally have the last missing puzzle pieces to his super soldier formula.

If the control collars worked, then Bishop would clone Donatello while he's in his last advanced mutation stage and create an unstoppable army of hu-animal beasts to rule the world with.

Even Karai and her stupid little Foot clan would have to bow to him, Bishop would become a god to all. Even if Bishop couldn't clone an army out of Don's super mutated DNA, he would try Plan B. Reproduction.

Bishop was really amazed that Donatello was even remotely successful in reproducing with a normal female human being. He couldn't wait to see the fetus, dead or alive. He could tweak its DNA and create something new that way too.

Either way, Bishop was going to gain a lot of valuable knowledge from all this. He had been talking with Chaplin as well and he said he had an anti-cure for the Turtles which would force them into advanced stages of mutations.

Of course Bishop wanted to analyze this anti-cure to make sure it wouldn't kill his test subject aka Donatello. He needed him to be alive in order to clone him or make him reproduce with other test subjects. The mad-scientist possibilities were endless!

After talking to Bishop, Don knew he had no choice, but to go to Area 51. He told his brothers what he needed to do. Needless to say, they weren't for it. Especially since Don wanted to go by himself.

Leo forbid Don to go alone and told Raph to go with him. Since Mikey and Raph weren't getting along, Leo saw it was a good way to keep them apart temporarily.

Plus, Leo wouldn't be able to live with himself should Don get killed. Raph would never let that happen, not on his watch. Raph didn't mind going since he believed if he wasn't around, Mikey would cool off and forgive him later on.

Anything was better than staying in this stinking jungle with all the accursed flying biting insects and stomaching bossy Karai day after day. Leo didn't like how Chaplin was ordered by Bishop to go also, but at least they took Rose too.

Maybe Don and Rose could reconcile while at Area 51. Leo hoped so. He never saw Don so shook up, he feared for him. Karai attempted to stop him since she didn't want to lose any of her assassins, but Don fiercely fought back against her wishes.

Not wanting to be killed on the spot, Karai backed down reluctantly and gave the 'ok' for him to leave, which Don found extremely disgusting. He didn't NEED her permission to do anything! His aversion for her went up several notches from that altercation.

Before Raph left with him, Leo pulled him aside by the arm and reminded him to watch over Don.

"_**Don't**_ say anything stupid to him like you did to Mikey!" Leo hissed at him, holding onto his arm tightly.

"Ok, ok! Sheesh, get off my shell, Leo! I regret what I said to Mikey, alright? I'm not going to repeat my mistake! Don't worry about us." Raph hissed back, freeing his arm.

He owed Donnie one big favor since he helped him feel like his old self again. He wasn't going to let him get killed, never! Leo was acting so much like a worried old hen, it wasn't funny.

"Call if anything happens." Leo added, his eyes filled with concern. He didn't want either of them going, but there was no stopping Don now.

"I'll call every frickin' day, then! How's that, Leo?" Raph scowled, not liking how overprotective Leo was behaving. He shook his head in disgust as he got onto the helicopter that would take him and Don to Area 51.

Why'd he always have to treat them like hatchlings? Raph could handle Bishop's goons any day of the week with his arms tied behind his shell, heck even Donnie could! Sheesh!

Leo watched them go, feeling a nagging sense of impending doom. He just knew something bad was going to happen, but was helpless to stop it.

He wished Bishop wasn't involved, but unfortunately he was and Don was dead-set on going once he told him he could save the fetus. Leo closed his eyes and prayed for Splinter to watch over his younger brothers.

'Keep them safe, Father...'

* * *

A week went by and Mikey kept on taking Don's sedative pills regularly. Though something strange was going on. Sometimes when Mikey saw Karai, he thought he saw Kameko instead.

Obviously it was a side-effect, Mikey figured the hallucinations would stop if he took less of the sedatives. Maybe he shouldn't be taking them every time he ate. He decided to just take them when he ate dinner, then he could sleep easier at night.

Raph called every day and kept reassuring Leo that nothing bad was going on. Bishop wasn't doing anything weird to them so far and the fetus seemed to be thriving instead of dying.

Leo was glad to hear good news for a change, yet he still had that foreboding feeling in his gut just the same. Raph let Leo know that he wasn't going to let his guard down so he didn't need to fret.

Leatherhead was there, so if something did happen, he could help them. Leo felt a little better knowing Leatherhead was there, still those 'what if's' haunted him.

He felt more comfortable when his brothers were within his range and he could help them quickly should there be danger. But now two of them were so far away and if something did happen, Leo wouldn't able to reach them in time to help.

Leo did NOT want his brothers being any where near Bishop, let alone living in the same place as that nutcase. He had to put his faith in Splinter and keep praying for him to watch them.

Even though they were only his brothers, Leo felt as if they were his children and he was very protective of them. They were all he had left of his family and he didn't want to lose any of them.

He was becoming stressed more and more as time went on, which played heavily on his relationship with Karai.

Though Leo had told Karai he wasn't going to help her anymore, he did anyway which were a sign of his true feelings for her. With Kano gone, Karai and her men had an easier time establishing her rule throughout the villages.

Leo found it very odd how suddenly effortless it was to take back those villages. He had to find out why. Certain villagers may know something about it. So, Leo was going to keep his ears open, ready to listen in once they spoke anything of the matter amongst themselves.

While he was patrolling around Mariah's village, Leo overheard a bunch of men in uniforms talking about how Kano was in the United States. Leo could tell they were Kano's low ranking men by the lack of metal stars on shoulders.

They laughed about how stupid and far behind Karai was. She had no hope of ever reclaiming the Foot clan throne. Besides a woman had no business ruling an army of men anyway.

Silently, Leo returned to Karai's fortress and relayed this info to her. She was furious and immediately prepared her men to return back to New York in the morning.

Although Leonardo seemed to be aiding Karai again, she was still going to punish him for trying to break their blood oath. She did not really believe she had broken it herself even though Leonardo provided a good logical reason to how she did.

She did not intentionally harm his family so she viewed it where she basically did no wrong to Leonardo and _he_ was very wrong for trying to escape his duties in aiding her against Kano.

During that week, she attempted to rekindle the romance in their relationship, but he was either too tired or simply too stressed out from the problems with his brothers. Plus, it seemed like he didn't forgive her for 'hurting' his family either...

Karai found it annoying and very lonely without Leonardo to cuddle while watching the sunsets and sunrises. She ached for his companionship and she missed having his strong arms around her.

Sadly, she went by herself to watch yet another sunset alone. She observed it on a high open cliff and tried to enjoy the incredible beauty of the different rainbow hues painted in the sky.

Suddenly she was enveloped from behind by a powerful force. She struggled at first, but stopped when she heard him.

"Kameko, I missed you so much!"

"Michelangelo! Unhand me! What are you doing?" Karai shouted and pulled away from him. He stared at her and blinked several times before he realized he was hallucinating again.

"Karai? Oh, shell! I'm sorry! I-" Mikey turned away and punched his forehead with both his fists. "D-mn, d-mn, d-mn!"

"Michelangelo, what are you doing here?" Karai asked, acting cold and tough, though she actually welcomed his presence. Her best assassin was here and Karai was slowly figuring out a good way to punish Leonardo...

"This sunset was too beautiful to pass up on and I'm tired of watching them from the towers in the fortress. I guess I needed some air." Mikey said. Those sedatives were really messing up his mind now. He thought Karai was Kameko, how embarrassing!

He was used to being called stupid, but THAT was beyond stupid. He did have some pride as a ninja. He didn't want to lose his sanity, but he had to take those sedatives or else he'd never get any sleep or a shred of peace from his emotions.

Leo put a stop to his drinking and wouldn't let him smoke, not even a little bit. The sedatives were all Mikey had left to make him temporarily forget his pain of losing Kameko.

"If you want me to get Leo for you, I-" Mikey tried to say, but she held her hand up and he stopped talking. Karai scoffed contemptuously as she sat on the ground in a huff.

"No. That is not necessary. You will be company enough for me. Come. Sit." Karai said, motioning for him to sit next to her. She smiled to herself as he did as he was told.

"Michelangelo. My shoulders." Karai simply said, motioning and he knew what she wanted. Mikey sat behind her and went to work. She often made him massage her tired muscles since Leonardo never seemed to have time to anymore.

Mikey knew she was using him, but he didn't care since it gave him something to do than other being upset over Kameko's death. He never liked Karai all those years before because he knew she enjoyed using people.

He looked past all that now since she wanted Kano dead too. They had a common goal and he wanted to be her ally in it. So he allowed her to treat him like a lackey. But he didn't plan on staying her lackey once Kano was dead...

Karai grinned as she suavely removed her armor and shirt. She leaned up against Mikey's plastron and boldly pressed her bare back to his chest.

Drowsy from the sedatives, Mikey gently pushed her forward away from him as he continued to massage her shoulders. He didn't catch on to what she was trying to pull since he wasn't able to think clearly.

Again Karai leaned against him and roughly yanked his hands from her shoulders and placed them around her torso. Finally Mikey figured out something weird was going on here.

"Karai, what are you-"

"Are you not tired of being lonely, Michelangelo?" she asked, cutting him off. Mikey was taken back by this question.

"Huh?"

"I know you are lonely and so am I. You will stay with me and do as I say until I dismiss you." Karai said, moving his hands higher to her breasts, but he quickly got up and stood.

"Michelangelo! I did not say you could stand!" she snapped, getting up herself.

"Look, I'm _**NOT**_ your slave, Karai! You're lucky that I wanted to help you and all, but you're really pushing it now! You're Leo's and I'm not going to betray my brother by touching you like you're trying to make me!" Mikey said angrily.

Karai fought back the urge to kick him in the face for disobeying. She had to punish Leonardo and this would be the best way! She would not be denied.

"I don't understand what Leo sees in you." Mikey said disgustedly. "But that's between you and him, now isn't it?" He turned away and started to leave when Karai quickly put her shirt and armor back on.

She wouldn't let him go without permission and he clearly needed to be reminded he was the master here. She quickly kicked him in the shell, making him stumble forward though only a little. He whirled around with his leg out and sent her crashing to the ground.

Karai sprang to her feet and took a stance. She expected Mikey to continue the fight, but he simply began to walk away again. Infuriated, she shouted at him to return.

"You **WILL** come back here if you want to be the one who kills Kano! If you leave now, I and I alone will have that honor, **NOT** you!" Karai didn't hide her pleased smile as he begrudgingly stomped back to her.

"Do **_not_** behave like your eldest brother, Michelangelo. He has problems taking orders and up until now, you haven't. You are the perfect warrior and you surpass your brothers in every way imaginable." Karai said, hoping praise would get her on his good side.

"Other than me being the Battle Nexus champion, I'm not really better than my brothers. I'm not smart like Donnie. I'm not responsible like Leo. And I'm not as strong as Raph." Mikey said, not ever hiding that wonderful fact that he was a two time champion for the Battle Nexus.

He still had that purple amulet hung up in his room back at home. He got it framed in a special case and everything too. Since his original trophy was destroyed, he really cherished that amulet.

Feeling a strong wave of exhaustion, he yawned and leaned up to a tree, sliding his shell against it until he was sitting.

"Only brute force is needed to take down Kano and you have that. Your brothers are useless to me if they have no real drive to kill Kano. But you do and you are very valuable to me." Karai said, wondering how she could get him to accept her advances.

Leonardo HAD to be punished and this was the way she was going to do it by involving Michelangelo. Karai believed once Leo saw her 'moving on' to his little brother, he would wise up and hurry to 'win' her back.

Should he become upset, then good. That's what Karai wanted, for him to come running back into her arms, and begging her not to leave him.

At last, he would shower her with the attention she thought she deserved 24/7. Surely he would never dare abandon her again, he would always have time for her.

Mikey said nothing, but moved away from her as she sat near him. Boldly, she took his hand into hers and held it to her chest in a symbolic manner. He yanked his hand back and quickly stood up.

"I thought I told you NOT to leave!" Karai said angrily, then saw that Leo was right there watching them.

"Leo I swear, I didn't touch her!" Mikey said, backing away. Leo glanced at Mikey, but kept his furious glare on Karai.

"It's alright, Mikey. I know you didn't. You can go now." Leo said, showing no anger towards his baby brother. Mikey disappeared into the trees quickly, leaving Leo to deal with Karai.

Karai felt shame and guilt wash over her under Leo's vicious staring. She thought of what to say while she tried to build her confidence. She was going to self-righteously tell him that she did no wrong, while it was him who did HER wrong instead.

But what she had left for a conscience was kicking in and telling her otherwise. She even felt foolish for wanting to defend herself in such a way. She couldn't kid herself any longer. She had done wrong to Leo by trying to involve Mikey like that.

"Karai... What is wrong with you?" Leo asked her in such a stern chiding tone that she bowed her head lower. She wasn't the type to cry out her problems emotionally like some weak twit, so she said nothing.

"Why were you advancing on my brother like that? He doesn't like you, none of my brothers like you! Do you want to be killed? Because if you keep bothering my brothers, they'll kill you!" Leo reprimanded her.

"I'm the only one who cares about you, Karai! Why won't you believe that?" Leo shouted, seething. "Why do you have to be so selfish? I know why you're doing this..."

Karai was surprised. He knew what she was up to all this time? No, he couldn't have! Could he?

**To Be Continued in Chapter 17!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**(_Will Karai and Leo's relationship be healed or broken? Is Bishop really helping to save Don's child or is he secretly doing unspeakable experiments?_)**

**Spoiler info to one question above---In the next chapter Bishop makes his first sinister move on Donatello by using the anti-cure on him! Can Raph save his brother from Bishop's evil clutches and escape Area 51 without being shot to death?**

**Fans of the fifth 'Turtle', Zach and Slash- keeping reading, they'll appear in the story eventually as well! Plz be nice! This is my first Turtles ficcy! ^.^**


	17. Intoxicated Don & Say Hi Mona Lisa!

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.17

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Trust**

Karai couldn't believe that Leonardo actually knew the reasons to why she was trying to force Michelangelo to touch her. But he stated them loud and clear to her embarrassment.

"You thought if you got my brother to mess around with you, I'd get jealous and come running to win you back, right? Well, you're wrong. I know exactly the game you're trying to play here. I'm _**NOT**_ amused, Karai..." Leo said angrily.

"I can't believe you'd stoop **_that_** low! It's so stupid and _dishonorable_!" Leo went on, his disgust rising. "You _know_ I'm stressed out over what's going on with my brothers!"

"I'm _so_ worried that Bishop will do harm to them; I'm mentally exhausted! You know all this, but _still_ you play this game on me! How can you be so ridiculously selfish?"

Karai bit her lip, wanting to spill her feelings out to him. But her pride would not allow such a weak act. She began to question if her punishment on Leo was worthwhile then. She only succeeded in pushing him even further away.

Since she didn't answer, Leo narrowed his eyes at her bowed head and began to walk past her to leave. Karai reached out and grabbed his hand as he went by.

"Don't go." she said whispered, hating the slight teary tone in her voice. The way she grabbed and held on to his hand made him look at her again.

She instinctively looked up at him and once he saw her eyes, he knew how she felt. That yearning desperate gaze told him how much she longed for his company.

She missed him terribly, but she just couldn't come out and say it directly. Leo sighed, empathy dissolving his disgust and anger away. He couldn't help but feel this great compassion for her.

"I'm always here, Karai..." he said softly, bending down on his knees at her side and enveloping his arms around her tightly. She buried her face into his neck and hugged him back.

A sweet passionate kiss to the cheek from her terrapin lover made Karai's lonely cold heart feel warm. They faced each other and Leo gave her a loving lick to the forehead, then another and another to her cheeks to clean her shamed tears.

Mikey was watching a good distance away and gripped his fists tightly. He hung around to make sure Karai didn't try to hurt Leo in some sneaky way. But instead the two made up, _'SNAP!'_, just like that.

Why did Leo get to keep and enjoy his lover, while Mikey's beloved Kameko got butchered? It just wasn't fair! Mikey shook his head in distaste as he saw his eldest brother's very amoral girlfriend undressing then.

He left quickly. Many times before he got to enjoy Kameko like how Leo was about to enjoy Karai. But not anymore since poor decent beautiful Kameko was slaughtered mercilessly by her revoltingly evil brother Kano.

Tomorrow, they were going back to New York and that's where Kano was hiding currently. Mikey vowed to find him and make him pay severely for killing Kameko.

He wouldn't rest until he had that bastard's head torn from his shoulders and mounted on the wall of his room. Maybe then Mikey could have some closure to all this madness...

* * *

It had been a week since Don had come to Bishop's home base in Area 51. It was good to see Leatherhead again and they worked together on simple projects.

Living in the base was now routine and slightly boring. Everyday, Bishop had a list of tasks that he wanted completed. All of them were easy enough. That's what made them boring.

Although things appeared normal, Don knew they were not. Leatherhead made sure Don and Raph didn't talk freely anywhere. All three of them had been secretly communicating with notes and destroying them.

While Raph found this note writing crap annoying, he still did so since he didn't want Bishop overhearing anything. With Bishop's enhanced artificial wombs, or 'growing pods' as he called them, Don's fetus was growing quickly.

On the seventh night, the fetus had grown enough to show that it was male. Rose was recovering excellently from her surgery. Even though she didn't show any appreciation for Don saving her life, he was happy.

Leatherhead took them to a place where they could celebrate a little at a tavern where anyone was welcome. It didn't matter what you looked like at that place. As long as you had money, you were welcomed.

Once there, Raph noticed that Don had ordered the weakest drink available. He was about to tell him to 'live it up a little' when he realized Don wouldn't 'take the bull by the horns' and just stay on the safer path.

So when Leatherhead was introducing Don to a friend, Raph went to the bartender. He changed Don's order, telling the guy to mix in some Everclear 190 proof in his drink.

There, that should toughen up Don's stomach a bit. Leatherhead said they were going to have some special raw meat and to be ready for it. The more acid the better. Soon the drinks arrived and Raph couldn't believe who was serving them.

"Mona Lisa??" he asked, totally surprised to see her. It had been so many years since he last saw her.

She used to visit the Lair off and on when the Turtles were teens, but lost contact when Mona Lisa went to Europe to find a cure for her mutation. Apparently, she never did. What was she doing here?

"Raphael?" Mona Lisa got really close to his face and gasped in shock. "Oh my gosh, it _is_ you! I can't believe it!" She hugged Raph happily. This was so great! The Turtles were still around!

"You know her?" Leatherhead asked, sipping his drink. He hadn't been to the tavern in some time, so he hadn't seen Mona Lisa around before. She was nice looking, but much too young for Leatherhead's tastes.

"Yes, she helped us during a mission." Don said, drinking his glass dry. He was really thirsty, but something was wrong. He shook his head, feeling strange. That wine tasted way too much like ethanol! What the heck?!

"Uh, can you get me something else? Like water?" he asked, handing her the empty glass.

"Sure thing, Donatello. I'm so glad to see you guys again. I'll be getting off my shift real soon, so don't go anywhere!" Mona Lisa hurried off to get Don some water.

Don bowed his head over the table as he rubbed his temples in discomfort. Raph didn't noticed since he was watching some showgirls dancing on stage while he drank his vodka.

"Are you feeling alright, my friend?" Leatherhead asked, concerned.

"I... I'm not sure. I guess I'm alright. Just a little dizzy." Don replied, slowly getting a suspicion that his drink was spiked. But who could have done such a thing?

"Raph!" Don shouted then, standing up fast. He was startled and gawked at him, getting miffed quickly.

"Jeez! What the shell is it, Donnie?" he replied, scowling.

"You spiked my drink, didn't you?!" Don said angrily, pointing an accusing finger at him. Raph gawked at him again. He's screaming about that? Sheesh!

"Hey, alls I did was tell the bartender to liven up yer wine a bit. No biggie." Raph answered, finishing off his vodka.

"No 'biggie'?! It tasted like ethanol, Raph!"

"Yeah well, of course. That's Everclear for ya."

"Everclear?! You asked the barkeeper to put **_THAT_** in my drink?" Don was shocked and angry at the same time. 'Drinks' like that would definitely strip him of all his intelligence and leave him an intoxicated moron! ARGH!

"Holy sh-t, Raph! I'll be drunk all night because of this f-cking Everclear! You _d-mn_ as-hole! I'm **_not_** going to forget this! You hear me?!" Don growled, hostile as a cantankerous snapper that had his tail stepped on.

Don continued to swear up a storm, the likes which Leatherhead had never heard from his friend before. Raph listened to his brother rant and rave including every curse word out there.

Chuckling, he grinned even though Don was about to whack him with his bo staff. Then suddenly as if Don ran out of steam, he passed out and fell back into his seat. He then slumped over the table and seemed to be sleeping.

Leatherhead stared at Raph wide-eyed. "My word, I never heard such..._ahem_...'language' from Donatello before." he commented, pushing Don up from the table so he was sitting upright in his chair.

"If **_only_** I had brought a video camera with me! D-mn, that was priceless!" Raph laughed.

He'd love to see the look on Leo's face if he had video proof of Don's 'little' verbal rampage. It's not too often when Don flies off the handle like _that_. He even made Raph look tame. Heh heh!

"Hey, what happened to Donatello?" Mona Lisa was back with Don's water, but she was too late. He appeared to be asleep. She set the glass in front of him anyway.

"He's just taking a nap. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine." Raph said nonchalantly. Mona Lisa nodded and untied her apron, setting it on the table.

"I'm gonna be off in a minute or two, so I'm going to hang out here. If that's ok with you guys." she said, fidgeting playfully.

"It's quite alright, my dear." Leatherhead said politely. Before Raph could agree, Mona Lisa squeezed herself next to Raph beside him. She didn't have any three foot rule of personal space in her book since she was pressing right up against Raph.

Again, Raph felt that shy feeling wash over him again as Mona Lisa kept rubbing her bare flesh against his. She did have an outfit on, but the dress was skimpy and sleeveless.

He couldn't create any space between them since there was no more room left where they were sitting. Abashed yet intrigued, Raph wondered if she had anyone in her life currently. He decided to find out, though in private.

Then Mona Lisa chattered on a mile a minute about what happened to her over the past years, but she didn't mention anything about a boyfriend or husband. Raph felt optimistic.

Though she was basically a friend, Raph hoped to change that. He would at least try. Mona Lisa was a **very** feisty girl, energetic and aggressive. Those were traits that Raph especially liked in girls.

April was feisty and so was Lotus... Not like he was trying to replace Lotus or anything, but it would be nice to be able to heal and move on. Maybe...just maybe Mona Lisa could help him to do that.

While Mona Lisa was happily dragging Raph and Leatherhead around the bar to meet her co-workers, they lost track of Don. Frantically they looked for him and thankfully he was easy to locate dancing with the showgirls on stage.

"Wow, Don's a really sexy dancer!" Mona Lisa said, giggling. "I never knew a Turtle could move his hips that way..." she added with hushed fascination.

Annoyed to see that Mona Lisa was finding Don attractive, he irritably went to his younger brother and hustled him off the stage. It wasn't easy since Don wanted to kiss each and every one of the showgirls before he went.

To Raph's embarrassment, the showgirls were actually fighting over who would be kissed first! Sheesh!

"Don, will you get your shell off this d-mn stage! People are frickin' starin' at us!" Raph cried, yanking him away by his arm.

"Au revoir, belles filles douces!" Don called to them as he waved and blew kisses at them. Raph couldn't believe how ridiculously drunk Don was. He really couldn't handle liquor for anything!

Raph really **_REALLY_** wished he had a video camera with him then. Oh well. Leatherhead recommended that they take poor now-overly frisky inebriated Don back to the base. He was passing out again at this point.

"Let's take him home. He needs to sleep this off." Leatherhead said, feeling sorry for Don. He didn't even get to try that rare meat. Raph was going to save some for him, but he couldn't help eating it all.

"Yeah, I guess. Heh, he's so going to have a hangover in the morning." Raph commented with a half smile as he slung Don over his shoulder and carried him out.

"Can I go with you guys too?" Mona Lisa asked. She had been living at the tavern since she came back from Europe a few months ago. She was sick of living there and needed a change of pace in her life.

"I dunno. Will Bishop care?" Raph asked Leatherhead, looking at the big reptile croc-man.

"I suppose it will be alright. We have plenty of room. Bishop won't mind as long as you don't get in his way and are willing to work. I'll talk to him about it." Leatherhead said, giving a kind smile to Mona Lisa.

"Oh thank you! I've been cooped up at that smelly tavern for months and I'd sure like to live some place where everyone isn't drunk all the time. And don't worry, I know how to work!" Mona Lisa said, doing cartwheels for joy.

"Splendid. I'm sure Bishop will be happy to welcome you to his team of scientists considering your major in college." Leatherhead said, pleased to discover another bright scientist just like that.

"Now that's the kind of job I like! No more waiting tables for me!" Mona Lisa cried, doing acrobatic feats several feet before the males.

Back at the base, Raph left Don on a cot in the lab since that's where he usually slept anyway. Bishop did have special quarters for them, but Don preferred the lab cot for some reason.

Leatherhead said it was because if Don woke in the middle of the night with a scientific idea, he could get working on it right away. Covering his sleeping younger brother with a blanket, Raph patted his shoulder before he left.

"Sorry for spiking yer drink, buddy. Just was trying to toughen ya up. Aw well, sleep it off, Don. You'll be ok." Raph said, taking Don's mask off to get it washed. He took off his own mask so he could get both masks washed together.

Raph headed off to his quarters then and saw Mona Lisa wandering the halls. He asked her what was wrong and she told him Leatherhead never came back to tell her where her room was.

Figuring Leatherhead was caught up with another chore Bishop wanted him to do, he offered to let Mona Lisa stay in Don's bed which was in the same room as Raph's bed.

He didn't trust them being separated so he requested their beds be in the same room. That way if anything bad happened, he and Don would be together to fight and help each other.

"I don't want to let you sleep by yourself in this place." Raph explained to her. It wasn't exactly a location where mutants could rest easy and let their guard down. They had to be careful.

"That is, if you don't mind sleeping in the same room with me and all..." he continued, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"I don't mind. Do you? I mean, I don't want to be a bother or anything like that." Mona Lisa said rather shyly. She had always been a fan of the Turtles and now she found them again. Well, two of them at least. And one of them was her favorite.

"You're not a bother, Mona Lisa." Raph said, his voice hinting something. She hoped she 'reading' into his words right and it was what she thought it was. If he was interested in her, that would be so awesome! A dream come true...

"So...what's been happening with you lately, Raphael?" Mona Lisa asked as she sat on Don's bed, pulling back the covers. Raph sighed strangely, as if he was remembering something terrible.

"Did something happen?" she asked, then saw the pained grief in his eyes when he looked at her. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'm ok with it..."

Raph sighed again, tiredly this time. No, he figured it'd be better if he talked about it with someone instead of keeping it bottled up inside.

Slowly yet assuredly, he told her about Lotus and how she was killed because they were stuck helping Karai since she had the cure they needed to stop them from transforming into savage beasts.

He also told her about how Kameko was killed and how screwed up Mikey got from it all. And how Rose rejected Don for being a turtle. Mona Lisa listened to him and offered her support.

"I'm really sorry, Raphael." Mona Lisa said, shaking her head. Then she smiled. "Well, at least now you got me to talk to. I'll be your friend through this. I mean, we've always been good friends already. Right?"

"Yeah, good friends..." Raph said oddly with his head to the side and bowed.

How could he tell her he wanted them to be more than just good friends without sounding stupid or corny? He wished he knew what to do! A little confused, Mona Lisa came close and touched his hand, causing him to instinctively look at her.

Their eyes met and to Mona Lisa's joyful surprise, she saw a strong spark of interest within his gaze. She was quickly caught in his gaze as she stared back.

Raph couldn't ignore these new feelings rising inside of him. He lost contact with Mona Lisa before, he wasn't going to 'lose' her again. He wasn't going to lose _'her'_ again...

He self-consciously felt as if Mona Lisa was like April and Lotus, two women he had lost. If he didn't tell Mona Lisa he liked her now, she would go away and he'd never see her again.

It'd be like losing April and Lotus all over again. If that makes any sense. It was how he felt though and he wasn't going to beat around the bush this time. Even though it was hard and he was unsure how she would take it, he had to try.

Carefully, he placed his other hand on her shoulder and steadied himself, his eyes never leaving hers. Mona Lisa was transfixed by his behavior, she had a feeling that he may kiss her.

What would it be like to kiss a Ninja Turtle? That was the thought running through her mind. Presently she had her answer when Raph kissed her gingerly.

Mona Lisa's emotions took over as she returned his affections with her own kiss. The two explored each other's mouths cautiously. Eventually, their initial uneasiness faded and their kissing became stronger and more passionate.

Raph layed back onto his shell with Mona Lisa on top of him. His fingers ran through her brown locks, untying her ponytail. She pulled away momentarily to look down at him with her hair flowing down over her shoulders.

She smiled at him, a grin that was sly and sexy. She was such a gorgeous green sight to behold. He had been captivated by her reptilian beauty before, but now he was hit with it again. He was enthralled to the point of no return.

Her sexy smile, along with her breasts and smooth shining curves beguiled Raph deeply. No doubt about it, he had to have her. He never wanted to let her go. Ever.

Suddenly they both heard a fairly loud blood-curling scream down the hallway. Then another agonized scream after another. The tormented screaming did not stop whatsoever. Mona Lisa's eyes grew wide with fright.

"Is that Donatello?" she asked in a hushed whisper. Raph raced out of the room and down the hall as fast as he could to the lab. He never heard Don scream like that before. Something was wrong! Terribly wrong!

**To Be Continued in Chapter 18!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**In the next chapter: the details of how Bishop uses the anti-cure on poor Donatello! Can Raph help Don in time or will Don be too far gone in his hyper mutation to even recognize his brother anymore? Will Don go on a meat-eating rampage in the base or will the control collars tame him? Will he be cured before he kills everyone at Area 51?  
Keep reading to find out! Until next time! ^_^**


	18. Hyper Mutation Gamera Donatello

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.18

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summary: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**I have a different plot for this chapter, but I deleted it since it wasn't what I originally planned for this. It's not much, but it was kinda interesting. If anyone wants to see it, let me know in your review! ^_^**  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

After Raph had left Don to sleep in the lab, Bishop came in about five minutes later with his science team. "Get Donatello ready." he told them and it didn't take them long to find out how drunk Don was.

"We can't administer the serum, Agent Bishop." said a scientist, after checking a blood sample they took from Don. They had him strapped to a standing long platform. A control collar was snapped onto Don's neck soon afterwards.

"Why not?" Bishop was getting impatient. The man explained there was too much alcohol in Don's system. The anti-cure would kill him instantly. Bishop didn't want that and ordered to have the alcohol neutralized immediately.

Once that was done, they injected Don with Chaplin's anti-cure. It should force him into the first stage of hyper mutation within mere moments. When ten minutes passed with no results, Bishop angrily ordered to have Chaplin sent in.

A lucky scientist left to go get Chaplin. Moments after, Don stirred and Bishop walked up before him to investigate. Was the anti-cure finally taking effect? Groggily, Don opened his eyes and saw Bishop's usual miserable expression.

"B-Bishop? What are you-? Hey! Why am I tied down? What's going on here?!" Don cried, anxiety stabbing his heart. None of this looked good to him.

"How do you feel, Donatello?" Bishop asked, impatient for his test subject to transform. Once Don was a savage, yet civilized war machine, Bishop would take a sample of his DNA to clone more of him.

But why it was taking so long? With Donatello aware that something suspicious was going on, Bishop would not be able to get another chance to have Don contained like this.

If he got free without Bishop obtaining a sample, his experiment would be a failure. He'd never get another chance as good as this to get that advanced mutated super soldier DNA. Absolutely nothing must go wrong!

"_Feel_? I feel like kicking your lying butt all the way to New York!" Don shouted, figuring out quickly that Bishop had tricked him. "Whatever you're planning on doing to me, it won't work! I won't let you dissect me!"

"Dear, dear Donatello. I've been over dissecting you and your brothers for quite some time. You Turtles are more useful to me alive than mutilated." Bishop said, picking up the remote control for the collar.

"Now be a good lab turtle and mutate already. I've got other things to do tonight." he added, nonchalantly. Don was about to return a snide remark when extreme pain seized his entire body.

It was THAT pain again! He'd never forgotten it and now he was experiencing that agony once again. Breathing heavily, nausea kept punching him in the gut over and over. Vomiting didn't ease the sickness he felt.

Moaning pitifully, he regurgitated again while his body began to grow larger. The severe pain seemed only to grow more intense every passing second.

Don couldn't stand this horrid anguish any more in silence so he screamed, hoping that might provide an ounce of relief. But it didn't. Don's loud screaming sent most of the science team back in shock and surprise.

Bishop only backed away to avoid getting hit by the vomit. The second and last stage of mutation was at last occurring as Don's screams and grunts became more animal-like.

The restraints on Don's limbs were torn off the platform as the Turtle freed himself. He dropped to the floor with a loud thud and roared at the scientists nearest to him.

They began to scatter, which caused Don to attack them. He swept his claws through the running groups of people, sending them down like rag dolls instantly.

Bishop allowed his scientists to be killed so he could observe how efficient Don was at slaying. All it took was a simple swipe and whoever got snagged was dead. A small amount of frantic scientists managed to escape and Bishop activated the only door in the lab to slam shut.

Trapped with Bishop, Don's enraged attention was turned to him now. Snarling and growling, he crawled on all fours towards Bishop, ready to pounce on him in a vicious rage.

He stood his ground with the collar control device in his hand pointed outward at Don. When Don leapt at him, Bishop utilized the control device.

Electricity exploded from Don's collar, causing him to stop his attack and claw at his throat to get the collar off. Shrieking and roaring in pain, Don slammed himself against a glass window that led out to the hallways.

He had to escape somehow and get away. That was all going through his distressed mind then. Bishop realized what Don was doing and tried to stop him by grabbing him. He couldn't let this specimen leave without getting a sample first!

He tried to get that sample, but Don knocked the man away easily. He then successfully tore the control collar off his neck, the metal pieces falling at his feet.

"**Nooo!**" Bishop yelled, throwing the now useless control device away and sprinting for a high powered laser rifle in an emergency case nearby.

Don tore the platform that was holding him moments before from the bolts in the floor and hurled it at the window. It shattered and Don jumped through the broken glass. He ran down the hallway on all fours.

Bishop chased after him, bellowing and waving his arms. He hoped to get his attention so he wouldn't disappear within the base. He didn't want ALL his men getting killed!

Suddenly, there was a shrill scream of a woman. Bishop looked to see Don rising back on his legs and roaring at these people. It was Chaplin and his sister, Rose!

"Get back you hideous beast!" Chaplin shouted, holding out a pistol and aiming at Don's head. He thought his anti-cure **_wasn't_** working! If he had known it did, he would have brought a plasma rifle with him.

"Chaplin, I order you not to fire!" Bishop shouted behind Don, causing the huge terrapin to turn and look at him. He growled viciously at him, baring rows of sharp teeth. "I have his attention, so run!"

"Let's go, Rose!" Chaplin said, grabbing his sister's arm. The mention of her name seemed to snap Donatello out of his bestial rage. As if he understood that she was there seeing him like this, he cowered away in terrible shame.

Rose rejected Don for being an animal, even though he was part human and acted more human as well. But while in this hyper mutation form, he lost all human-like traits that made him who he was as a civilized mutant.

Now he was just simply a savage beast with no hope or future. A beast that Rose could never love or want to. She didn't even want him when he was more human too! Upset and hurt by these thoughts, Don turned around and ran past Bishop.

Bishop shouted for him to come back since he could tell Don was actually 'thinking' there and maybe the collar worked even without it being on him. Maybe his civilized mind was still there. He needed to study him in that state, but he couldn't if he escaped.

He ordered all available squads to go after him. Don kept running, but he found it hard to do on only two legs with such a heavy shell on his back. Refusing to return to being like a lowly animal, he remained a biped.

Several squads tried to stop and capture him, but he fled in the opposite direction. He forced himself not to kill any more, only mindless savages do that. He wasn't about to become one. Not again.

At last he was outside the base being shot at by Bishop's squads. Struggling to keep his civilized thoughts above the dark waters of his feral bestial mind, Don sent himself deeper into the woods.

His night vision was better than ever and he could easily tell he was losing his pursuers. He remained still and silent after climbing a large thick tree. The last of the squad gave up half an hour later.

Even with high powered flashlights, they couldn't see the dark green terrapin hiding above their heads in the branches. Once they left, Don waited at least five minutes before climbing down.

Thankfully the pain was slowly subsiding. Not much, but any relief from THAT agony was a blessing. Don sat down with his shell against the trunk of the tree and remembered the horrified look on Rose's face when she saw him.

Tears fell quickly, dotting the grass. Poor Don shook with nerve-wracking sobs as he was overcome with shameful humiliation. She seen him as a monster. The same monster he never wanted to become again!

Maybe she always thought he was a monster, just for being an animal to begin with. That notion was enough to make Don weep harder. How could someone he loved dearly not accept him for what he was?

After crying himself dry, Don sat and thought some more. His research aided Leatherhead in curing him last time. He could create another cure for himself this time with his civilized mind operational inside this horrid form.

But how could he hope to get to his own lab to do it? He couldn't just trek the country all the way back to New York looking like he did. What if he lost his humanized mind along the way and butchered people?

He definitely needed help to get back home. What of the fetus? How could he save his son from Bishop's evil experiments? What about Leatherhead, Raph, and Mona Lisa? He couldn't leave Raph behind, that's for sure.

He tried to speak, but with his newly formed mouth and razor teeth, he cut his tongue instead. Being reminded that he was a monster made him feel terribly insecure and more upset.

He couldn't even talk anymore! What if his mind left him too? It could happen at any moment. He didn't even know how he was thinking like his old self besides. He wished he knew how to proceed so he could reverse this!

'Father, please help me!' Don thought, closing his eyes and praying to Splinter. 'Please...please send help! Leo!'

* * *

Leo opened his eyes and gasped. He thought he felt as if his brothers needed him, but he didn't have any details. He was meditating while traveling home on one of Karai's private jets.

Mikey was sleeping next to him and he was safe. But Raph and Don... They were so far away and just moments before, he had that strange feeling as if one of them was begging for his help.

Leo grabbed his cell phone and began to call Raph. But he didn't answer it, causing for more alarm in Leo. Karai was asleep sitting across from him and Mikey.

He reached over and shook her shoulder to wake her. She stirred, pushing his hand away. "Leave me be." she mumbled, waving him away. She crossed her arms and continued to sleep.

"Karai, something's wrong." Leo told her in a overly worried tone.

"What?" she asked, waking up more. Were they under attack? Was there something wrong with the jet?

"I believe my brothers are in danger. We have to go to Bishop's base right now. I-" Leo tried to say, but Karai scowled at him.

"Do you think this jet runs on nothing? I will not spend needlessly just because you _think_ your brothers are in danger." she replied nastily.

"I don't _'think'_. I **know**..." Leo said testily, glaring at her. "I've worked enough to validate a trip to Area 51, Karai..." His expression made Karai weaken a bit, but she could not give in to his demands.

"Please understand, Leonardo. Time is precious and we must return to New York as soon as possible. I can feel it in my bones that Kano has already converted the last of my Foot clan over to him. I must win everything back before it's too late."

"If you can not contact your brethren by morning, I will let you venture there. But you must leave Michelangelo behind. I will need at least one of you to aid me here in New York." Karai said, not wanting Leo to leave.

But she had always admired those lucky enough to have siblings and she had a soft spot for sibling devotion. Otherwise it would be out of the question since she needed all the warriors she could get.

Leo sighed hard, not wanting to leave Mikey behind while he was so unstable. Plus, he wasn't completely sure if Karai would try anything funny with Mikey in the meantime to punish him for some sick reason.

But he didn't want Karai to be without a reliable force to defend her. Although Mikey hated her, he would still defend her if Leo told him to. He trusted him to take care of her while he was away.

"Alright. But I want to be in constant contact with you both. I don't want anything happening to either of you." Leo said, reaching out again to touch and hold Karai's hand. She smiled fondly at him.

"Do not worry. Your brother Michelangelo has the fierce drive to keep us all safe from Kano. And I will protect him in return for you, my Leonardo." Karai said graciously.

To protect Leo's family was her part of the oath. She would religiously stand by it until her last dying breath. Leo kept calling Raph twice every half hour as Karai went back to sleep.

After the seventh try and to his great relief, Raph finally answered. He was acting strange and wouldn't tell Leo what was going on exactly. Leo grew angry from all this secrecy.

"Look, why don't you just spit it out Raph?!" Leo said, frowning. "What the shell is going on?"

"I said I've got everything under control! Alright?! There's nothing wrong! We're coming home soon! I'll call you later, bye!" Raph said in a hurry and hung up.

No way was he going to tell Leo that he got Don so drunk that he was easy pickings for Bishop to experiment on. He'd never hear the end of it.

Mona Lisa offered to help look for Don, but Raph told her to stay behind at the base. He asked Leatherhead to protect her in the meantime. He didn't want anyone helping him to fix this mistake he felt he helped create.

This was his mess and he was going to correct it. Leatherhead gave Raph a special serum that should give Donatello his civilized mind back so he would recognize him. They didn't know that Don was already thinking normally.

Raph tracked down Don and after Leo called, he had been looking for at least two hours now. His yelling at Leo on the phone attracted Don who wasn't too far off. Eager to have his brother near, Don went to him.

Raph heard crackling in the underbrush and got his sais ready just in case. He backed away when a huge monstrous creature appeared.

After seeing the shell on his back, Raph had a good idea that this was Don. He looked more like a crocodile hybrid turtle with all those spikes, rows of razor sharp teeth, and long tail.

"Donatello? It's you, right? Do you recognize me?" Raph asked cautiously, ready to cram the serum down Don's throat if he tried to attack him.

Don nodded his head since he couldn't speak right. He rather not try to anyway. Mumbling like an idiot and cutting his tongue on those nasty teeth wasn't worth it just to 'talk'.

"You do? Really?" Raph asked again, not completely sure. Was Don really nodding his head or was it him moving his head mindlessly?

Don came closer and put an arm around Raph. He held him to his plastron and put his chin on top of his older brother's head. Raph's worries that Don would attack him began to fade.

"Can't you talk?" Raph asked then. Don pulled away to shake his head sadly. Raph felt really guilty as he saw the tears in Don's eyes. This was all his fault! If only he didn't get Don drunk! He would have been able to defend himself better...

"Don't worry, Don. We'll get you home and then you can work on a cure. I'll ask Leatherhead to make a backup one too. Ok? You'll be ok." he said, patting his shoulder. He led him to where the forest ended, close to the base.

"Just stay here. I'll be back with a helicopter to take you home." Raph said, planning on 'borrowing' one of Bishop's. He hurried back to Area 51 undetected and located Leatherhead.

He let him know through notes that he found Don and he was taking him home. He wanted Leatherhead to make a backup cure just in case. The croc man gave him more of the serum as well.

"I want to go with you." Mona Lisa said. As much as she liked to have an awesome job as a scientist here, she wanted to help Raph more.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Raph told her, pleased to hear that and welcomed her to come with. He didn't want to leave her here anyway. Leatherhead had to stay since he wanted to keep an eye on Bishop.

He helped them secretly to where the helicopters were kept and one was about to take off. Raph knocked out the pilot and Leatherhead took the guy away and hid him behind some crates.

They saw Don coming out from the woods quickly. It didn't take him long for him to get in the copter.

"Good luck to you, my friends." Leatherhead said, shaking Raph's hand. Don looked at him with forlorn eyes and began to search for something to write on. There was a pad and pen sitting on a seat. Finally!

"What are you writing for, Don? We have to go!" Raph cried, seeing him scribbling something down. Don ignored him and gave the note to Leatherhead.

He gave him a worried look. "I'm sorry, my friend. But Chaplin destroyed the fetus after you left. Rose ordered him to do it once she...saw you like how you are now... I'm so sorry." he replied, eyes closed and shaking his head.

Don stared at him with his mouth open in horror. He stumbled backwards and fell to the floor with a thud. Bowing his head, he remained still.

Mona Lisa felt terrible for poor Don. He didn't want them to see him crying as he covered his head with his massive claws. Raph bit his lower lip and prepared to take off.

Just then Bishop's squad appeared, shooting their laser weapons at them like crazed lunatics. "God speed my friends!" Leatherhead shouted as he shut the door for his companions. He charged at the squad, doing his best to stop their gunfire.

Angrily Bishop was watching within the base. His prized specimen had escaped, but his fetus didn't. He knew Chaplin held a terrible grudge against the Turtles and figured he would have that fetus destroyed sooner or later.

So Bishop hid the real fetus and substituted it with an alien clone baby that had a shell on its back too. Chaplin had butchered an alien creature, not Don's child.

That fetus was two thirds human and one third animal. It, no _he_ should be easy enough to train as a super soldier. He should obey and not be ornery like a feral beast.

Bishop couldn't wait to teach that kid to be a real killer someday and to make him want to get revenge on his father for 'abandoning' him...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 19!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**In the next chapter: Can Don cure himself before his civilized mind is lost to his animal savagery? Mikey gains new allies against Kano with Zach and Angel. Will their hunt for Kano be a success or a horrible catastrophe?**

**Keep reading to find out! Until next time! ^_^**


	19. Michelangelo Becomes Human

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.19

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). Please R&R and please no flames!  
**AuthorNote:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Trust**

Back in New York, Karai insisted that the Turtles stay in the Foot headquarters until the battle with Kano was won. Leo agreed to this since he didn't want anyone from Kano's side following them back home.

Karai said there were spies everywhere and they could strike at any moment should they get the upper hand. It was not safe for the Turtles to return home just yet.

Disgusted that he couldn't go home, Mikey took off into the streets when Karai and Leo were talking about something in her special chambers. Leo could stay there, but Mikey wasn't. Not now at least.

Immediately, he began to seek out leads to locate Kano's hidden base in New York. He went to the nastiest parts of town to find loitering gangsters at their favorite hangouts and at various street corners.

After stopping several armed robberies and plenty of muggers, Mikey found himself going no where. Shaking down punks for info wasn't working since many of them didn't know anything. They weren't the big fish here.

Despite his rage, he didn't kill these low lives, which kinda amazed him. Was he finally 'calming' down a little? He left them hanging to be discovered by the police later. He left anonymous 9-1-1 calls to have them picked up.

Mikey would need to talk to a Purple Dragon directly. But where were they? Surely at least a few would be hanging around these parts, but Mikey never came across one yet. What was going on?

Frustrated, Mikey sat on a bench in a small park that usually was crawling with Purple Dragons at night. Where were those dirt bags?!

Mikey's hands shook as he ached to grab and shake the info he needed right out of them. He desperately needed to find Kano! Tonight!

Not wanting to hallucinate by taking sedatives, Mikey went back to smoking. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his trench coat. His lighter was nearly out of fuel and it was hard to light his nerve-calming smoke.

'I can't believe I'm doing this to myself.' Mikey thought bitterly as he inhaled deeply.

Wisps of smoke floated out of his nose and mouth like steam as he exhaled gently, feeling worn out emotionally. He wished there was something that would just take his suffering sorrow away once and for all.

'...Then I could be like my old self again...' Mikey wondered if that was even possible once Kano was killed. Kameko would still be dead and he would still be alone.

Yes, he had his brothers, but Kameko gave him a happiness that he cherished immensely.

It was like an unbelievable sense of tranquillity actually, where he felt everything would be alright no matter what would happen. They would help and support one another through thick and thin.

But that was all history once Kano sliced up Kameko to her bloody death. Mikey's hands tightened into tense fists as he trembled with extreme anger. He felt like killing right there and then just to ease his growing fury or else he'd go insane.

Whether it be a Purple Dragon or some street hood, he wouldn't be able to hold back his brain-smashing nunchakus. He prayed no one would approach him now since he was getting that unstable feeling again...

"What are _you_ doing here?!" cried a hushed whisper.

Mikey recognized that smart-aleck tone. He looked and saw a young woman with long purple hair in gothic clothes.

"Angel?" Mikey said, standing up. She grabbed his arm and began to drag him away from there.

"Are you crazy?!" she hissed. "Why are you sitting out in the open like that? The Purple Dragons are looking for you guys!"

"What are you talking about? I've been looking for the Purple Dragons all night! Why are they hiding?" Mikey asked in a low voice as she pulled him behind some trees several yards away.

"Kano's keeping most of the Purple Dragons at his command center to guard it. But he sent some out to look for you Turtles to follow and spy on you. He knows you guys are back. I bet Karai didn't know that, huh?" Angel said, darting her eyes back and forth searching for her 'clan'.

"I'm glad I found you before they did though..." Angel added. If her posse had found Mikey first, he'd have more holes than Swiss cheese. They had the latest weapons from the black market, all of them deadly and accurate.

"Doesn't matter to me either way. I would have killed them all just the same." Mikey said bitterly, his unusual sour tone making her look at him.

"What?" Angel asked through her teeth, a bit agitated and confused. What was wrong with him? He sounded so...menacing and hateful. She never felt such bad vibes from him before. Ever.

"Look, I have to find where Kano's hiding. So if you know where he is, take me to him. I have a serious score to settle..." Mikey said dangerously, flexing his claws.

Angel realized something major must have happened to change this usually happy Turtle into a hostile critter with a taste for bloody revenge. But revenge for what?

"I can take you to him, but you better not go alone. Kano's got magic powers or something. I've seen him do things that just don't make sense. Like this one guy disobeyed him openly and Kano turned him into a steaming pile of puke. Really!" Angel said, eyeing his ever-shortening cigarette.

Boldly, she snatched the cigarette from his mouth and took a few puffs from it. Then she put it back to his lips. Mikey took the cigarette between his fingers. He scoffed as he smirked at the same time contemptuously.

"Still brazen as ever." he commented, returning it to his mouth and finishing it.

Angel shrugged with a smirk of her own. Ever since she met the Turtles when she was a tween, she always found them really interesting. They were Casey's friends, so they were her friends too.

As she grew older, she gave them the 411 on what she heard from the Purple Dragons. But she almost got found out that she was spying on them and Leo told her to stop coming to report, fearing for her safety.

She visited a few times a year just to see them and to give them any crucial info on what the Purple Dragons were doing. After a while, she stopped visiting all together.

Now, this Kano guy had entered the picture and taken over the Purple Dragons quickly with his evil magical iron fist. Hun didn't mind since he would rather serve the real heir to Shredder's throne, not Karai.

But the other Purple Dragons did not trust Kano. They had a hard enough time with the previous Shredder and then Karai afterwards.

When Hun noticed how overly chummy and lenient Karai was being to the Turtles, he readily accepted Kano when he stepped up to the plate for leadership.

In some ways, Kano was worse than Shredder since his father never used magic like Kano did. He relied heavily on sorcery to punish his victims in the most ungodly of ways even though he could fight just fine.

He tortured random members if they spoke out or messed up even a little. This forced them to obey him very, VERY well or be destroyed. The Purple Dragons were nothing more than slaves to him, too fearful to break free from his tyranny.

What of Angel? How did she fare living life as a Purple Dragon? No longer a skinny kid, Angel was now a beautiful young lady. Despite the grungy environment and tomboy attitude, she did hope to find a significant other.

Though after being abused by heartless cruel men, she doubted she ever would. She began to think there was no one out there for her. Love was just a sick joke really. That's what she believed now.

Due to her spunky confident attitude, she avoided getting raped by the idiots in her gang. Some rival gang members tried to get her as well, but she eluded those losers no problem.

Angel was definitely a fighter and she wouldn't back down to any creep that tried to belittle her. She could kick butt just as good as any of the elite Purple Dragon members.

It was due to the fact that she was petite and super fast on her feet. She could hide in small places, escaping any pursuers with ease. If she was cornered by a goon or two, her trusty spiked brass knuckles always sent them packing.

But she earned herself more enemies by fighting for her rights and not giving in to bullies in the gang. Oh well, she wasn't truly part of their gang. Not in her heart at least.

So she would be glad to help the Turtles against Kano. Then maybe they could get more to eat than just stale bread and water...

"Yeah, whatever. I haven't had a good smoke in weeks. My nerves are all shot with all this sh-t Kano the Lameo's giving us." Angel said, spitting. Mikey found what he was seeing odd.

Here was a very pretty girl with long shiny purple hair and sweet curves covered in tom boy gothic attire. She was tough and mean, her facial piercings glinting in the moonlight.

She was trying so hard to hide her feminine beauty by acting tough and looking like a boy that it made Mikey wonder why. Most girls like to show off their beauty, not smother it. Hmm...

"Tell me about it. That as-hole butchered my girlfriend..." Mikey said kinda out of the blue there. Angel stopped her surveillance to gawk at him.

"You had a girlfriend?" she asked, surprised.

Sheesh! If the Turtles can find somebody, why can't she?? Come on! Her tom boy style couldn't be THAT strong of a deterrent, could it? It sure didn't stop those jerks from her gang; why couldn't a nice cool guy notice her?

"Yes, I did... Her name...sigh...was Kameko. She was **_so_** beautiful... I loved her and she loved me... We were so perfect together... _D-mn it!_" Mikey hissed under his breath as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Wait! That's Kano's sister, wasn't she? He was ranting and raving about her ever since he came back from his trip! He said she betrayed him by siding with the enemy and he had no choice but to kill her. I didn't know she was your lover, Mike. I'm so sorry..." Angel said, putting her hand on his shoulder. She understood.

He had his head bowed as he held back his tears. He had wept enough. Now was the time to get revenge. "Take me to Kano so I can kill that f-cking bastard once and for all."

"Sure. But like I said, you gotta be careful. He knows some serious magic." Angel warned him.

"I don't **GIVE** a _d-mn_! Just take me to him!" Mikey snarled, breathing hard to control the rage he had ever since Kameko was slaughtered.

"Be quiet! Spies might be watching us! We can't get-" Angel stopped in mid-sentence as something hard and cold was pushed against her forehead suddenly.

It took her a second to see an elite Purple Dragon member aiming a semi-automatic at her head, the muzzle up against her skin. In a split-second, the elite Purple Dragon was knocked down by Mikey and the pistol went off, narrowly missing Angel.

She scrambled to create some distance when she saw more Purple Dragons coming out from nowhere. A few tried to attack her while the others were fighting with Mikey.

She kicked the guns out of the two goons' hands and then jump-kicked their faces. These were low level newbies, easy to knock out. The elites were trying to capture Mikey, but failing miserably.

Angel watched with fascination and horror as her terrapin friend bashed the elite members into bloody broken corpses. His nunchakus whirled around like the blades of a helicopter, cracking open skulls and breaking bones with deadly accuracy.

A hit to the chest would send the ribs into vital organs and a concussion to the skull would cause the brains to be smashed and leak out. There had been fifteen elite soldiers, but only two remained several minutes later.

They ran for their lives as Mikey chased them with burning fury. Angel watched as Mikey snapped the neck of the one he tackled down with his bare hands. She felt a bit fearful seeing how easily he twisted that guy's neck.

The way he did it made the guy's neck seem soft and pliable like pretzel dough. But Angel knew it was hard bone cracking apart. It was like hearing wood snapping.

'Okiee, the Turtles have gotten a lot stronger since the last time I've seen them. Glad I'm on Mikey's side.' she thought. The last remaining elite Purple Dragon was gone, but the Turtle tried to go after him still.

Angel stopped him by grabbing his arm. He angrily flung his arm free and she had to back away quickly to avoid getting shoved straight to the ground.

"Mike, stop it! You got most of them! Ok? **_Calm down!_** We _have_ to get away from here, **_now_**!" Angel cried, pleading with him. Surely that surviving elite member would alert Kano of this shortly by cell phone.

Mikey looked to where the last elite Purple Dragon escaped to, then back at her. Frustrated that one got away, he let out a screaming roar of pent-up rage.

Yes, pent-up. If he had gone all out, he would have mutilated each and every one of those accursed Purple Dragons to the point where no one could tell if they were human or just butcher's throw-away meat...

"D-mn! You must have really loved Kameko to want to thrash these as-holes like this..." Angel couldn't help saying. Mikey glared at her through his blood splattered mask.

"H-ll yeah, I loved her! **_Nothing_** in this world can describe how much I cared for her, Angel! I loved her even more than my _brothers_! And I'm going to make _everyone_ **pay** for taking her away from me!" Mikey shouted, breathing hard.

He was about to lose it again. He struggled not to go nuts as he tried to think calming thoughts, but that seemed close to impossible now. He shivered with furious ire as he covered his face with his bloody hands.

'Please I _don't_ want to be like _this_! Somebody...somebody please _help_ me! Please Father, make me normal again! **_Please!_**' Mikey thought as hot burning tears streamed down his cheeks.

Angel could tell he was really flipping out emotionally by the way he was crying and trembling all of sudden. She roughly yanked his hands down away from his face.

She didn't care if he was splattered with blood, she had to help him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. He definitely needed someone to help him through this.

"Dude, I totally understand how you feel. When my brother Ryan and his friend Kenny were hit by a drunk driver and left for dead, I was so angry too." Angel said, ready to tell a long story.

"I kinda had a crush on Kenny, but never got to tell him how I felt. I wanted revenge. So I hunted down that drunk driver and got the Purple Dragons to knock him off."

"I felt so glad I got the jerk off'ed until I found out I helped put his little kids out on the street since they were kidnapped by a rival gang to get back at us for offing one of their own."

Mikey was staring off into space as he listened to her, but not wanting to heed any of it. She was talking like these monsters actually held some kind of worth in their existence.

"I just want you to think things through before you go killing off more Purple Dragons. They have families and friends, people who care about them. Kano may have screwed up your life by killing Kameko, but you're continuing his vicious cycle if you keep killing needlessly like this, Mike! You're really freaking me out! I mean, I never knew you could be like...like this."

Angel waved her arm out over the scene of battered broken bodies throughout the park to emphasize what she was saying. Mikey looked at what he had done and saw complete justice, not a senseless massacre.

"_**Don't**_ put me up like I'm the bad guy here, Angel!" Mikey snarled suddenly, growling. "I told you what Kano did to me and _they_ are working for Kano!" He pointed to the dead bodies to emphasize what _he_ was saying.

"They don't want to! Only Hun does! We don't! I was hoping you can help save us, not kill us! Please, Mike!" Angel cried, going after him as he started to stomp away.

"Why should I help the Purple Dragons?! Tell me that!" Mikey snapped, then a large figure jumped in front of them.

"If you do, then Kano will lose a large chunk of his army." said a voice. Angel squinted and then smiled happily.

"Zach! I can't believe you're still alive!" she cried. "I thought you were off'ed along with Walt! How'd you get away?"

"Long story." Zach said bitterly. "I can tell someone other than myself is itching for revenge..." he said, noting and agreeing with what he saw in Mikey's eyes. Avenging loved ones sounded like something to do that night.

"So those d-mned bastards killed your brother?" Mikey asked, dead set to deliver some serious payback more than ever.

"No different than how Kano cut up your woman." Zach answered, just as bitter and hateful as Mikey. "Walt didn't deserve to die like he did... That monster _must_ pay!" he said, making an angry fist.

"I'll help you." Mikey said, then turned to Angel. "You won't be his slaves anymore. This all ends tonight."

Zach then explained how Kano described Kameko's murder to scare the others into complete loyal submission. That's what made it twice as hard for Zach to round up any aid to get revenge on Kano. Most were too afraid of him to even try to take him down.

"I barely escaped alive five days ago and ever since, I couldn't find anyone to back me up on my mission." Zach said, then gave a weak smile. "Until now that is."

"Well, let's go then! Kano's at his base in Midtown." Angel said, but Zach let them know something important.

"No he ain't. When I was captured, I heard Kano tell Hun where his private bases are at and when he's gonna be at a certain one. He's at an underground base underneath Kips Bay. But he'll be leaving there after tonight. I don't know where he'll be hiding afterwards." Zach explained.

"Take me there." Mikey said, cracking his knuckles. Zach nodded. After Mikey retrieved his inazuma hybrid from Karai's fortress, he noted how cozy Karai and Leo were while watching the evening news together. Yuck...

'He doesn't even know I'm missing or anything! I sure shell ain't telling him where I'm going now. He doesn't give a d-mn anyway since he has Karai...' Mikey thought irritably as he went back to Zach and Angel.

The blonde haired man led them to the underground base. It took some time, but Mikey didn't care. Soon Kano would be dead and Kameko would finally be avenged. Maybe...just maybe he could finally try to heal.

Once there, it was strangely easy to get in undetected. Angel explained that the Purple Dragons guarding the place were low ranking ones. Nothing to be worried about. There was no trap waiting for them.

Zach took Mikey and Angel to Kano's special throne room, a type of room he had in all his hideouts. Perched upon his throne, Kano sat cross-legged. He was meditating in the dark with a ring of black candles around him.

Zach was about to warn Mikey of Kano's dark chi blasts, but he was gone from his side where they were hiding outside the throne room's doors.

They peeked in to see Mikey maneuvering silently through the blanket of shadows surrounding Kano. They watched anxiously, but they cringed when Mikey got blasted by Kano when he tried to take his head off with his inazuma hybrid.

Magically all the lights in the throne room lit up instantly. Kano's blast had sent Mikey crashing into a stone figure near the doors. The force of his shell hitting it caused the statue to crumble in large pieces.

Figuring their cover was blown, Zach and Angel rushed in to help Mikey up from the marble floor. Kano laughed evilly at them like how the real Shredder used to as he put on his spiky metal helmet.

"**_Fool!_** Did you honestly believe you could attempt such a _pathetic_ assault and succeed? Stupid _worthless_ animal! **_DIE!_**" Kano shouted and sent another dark chi blast from his open right hand.

Mikey knew the humans wouldn't be able to dodge that attack, but he could since he knew it was coming. If he had known of those chi blasts beforehand, Kano would be dead.

He grabbed Zach and Angel and sprinted for the doors. But they shut on their own, causing Mikey to run into them. But his reflexes were sharpened by his rage and he twisted his body so his shell would take the impact.

"I wanted to tell you about those chi blasts, but you disappeared before I could..." Zach said, rubbing his sore head. Despite Mikey's quick thinking, he and Angel got their heads whacked against the oak doors.

"Find some place to hide!" Mikey said simply and leapt back into action. The dark chi blasts were too slow to hit Mikey as he practically flew at Kano as he ran towards him, twirling the inazuma hybrid like mad.

Zach and Angel got to see some amazing fighting techniques from Mikey then as he attacked Kano head-on with the fury of an exploding volcano.

Kano was having some difficulty at actually striking down the enraged terrapin warrior with his chi blasts and physical attacks. Mikey's natural animal strength and speed were uncanny, aiding him very well in this battle.

Noting that this warrior was becoming a slight threat, Kano devised of a plan to strip Mikey of his bestial powers. While Kano was 'locking horns' with Mikey, Zach screamed at his friend to finish it and avenge Walt along with Kameko.

Kano scoffed and summoned forth demon strength, a force stronger than animal might to send the angry terrapin tumbling backwards to his weak foolish human friends.

"Idiotic worms! No one can defeat me, I am all powerful!" Kano yelled, his voice sounding very diabolical. Evil black chi detonated off him then, breaking all the furniture nearby and cracking the support beams.

"Terrapin beast! You have proven VERY annoying! I shall be rid of you once and for all!" A ray of energy shot from Kano's left hand so fast that Mikey barely saw it only after it hit him and Zach.

Angel watched in horror as they both screamed and writhed in agony. 'This is it! We're so dead!' she thought. She was confused when she saw Mikey's shell and green skin recede away.

Mikey seemed to disappear and a human man was left in his place. Zach stopped screaming in pain soon afterwards and was shocked to see a naked man next to him.

What happened to Mikey? What did Kano do with him? Who was this guy? Whoever he was, he got up and groaned, shaking his head.

Angel did her best not to look at this naked guy, but she couldn't help herself. He was covered with strong muscles all over. A pretty appetizing sight to see any time.

"**_Ugghh_**... Huh? Where the h-ll is Kano?! Where did he go?!" he cried, pausing as he realized something was really wrong here. He felt lighter, weaker, and his vision was a lot poorer. Then he saw his hands...

Angel gasped in shock as Zach gawked. He looked like Walt, but he wasn't.

"M-Mike?" Angel asked, shaking.

"What the shell happened to me?!" Mikey cried, looking at his five fingered hands and touching his face. "How'd this happen??"

"I don't know! Kano did something to you and Zach. You guys were screaming and then you changed...into a human." Angel said, explaining what she witnessed.

Zach couldn't speak since he felt so strange. Mikey looked so much like Walt, it hurt. Well, his face did. Walt never could get muscles like that. Still, it felt like his older brother was alive again.

Even though Mikey still had his real voice, his body was no longer reptilian. Back when he was a teen, he thought being a human all the way would be mondo cool.

Instead it was painful and confusing. He couldn't walk right anymore, falling forward since he put too much stride in his step due to the weight from his shell.

It was gone, so he kept falling on his face as he tried to walk. He had to learn that he didn't need that much power to walk forward. Mikey's terrapin characteristics were robbed from him and he was not happy to be _THIS_ human!

His natural bone-crushing terrapin strength was replaced with weak human strength. Zach and Angel helped him leave and they discovered the base was deserted as they made their way out.

Mikey hated not being able to see in the dark like he used to. It made him uncertain and worried they could be attacked and killed at any moment. Zach gave Mikey his sweatshirt to tie around his waist for obvious reasons.

It's fine for animals to walk about nude, but not humans. Mikey slowly figured out that Kano must have thought he was a force to be reckoned with. And so, he took his turtle powers away from him and made poor Mikey into a weak human.

He was now harmless to Kano, but that wasn't the issue here. Mikey had to get his reptilian body back. He missed it already, even his slightly fat belly. This human body was so lean and skinny, it just didn't feel right.

'I've got to see Leo. He can call Don to help change me back.' Mikey thought to himself as his friends took him to the Foot Headquarters. Angel had to back off once there since Purple Dragons weren't exactly friends with Karai's Foot clan.

"I'll see you guys around." she said hastily. "I'll come back tomorrow and meet you at the cafe around the corner. Ok?"

"Sure, Angel. Sure." Zach said, wanting her to leave so he could get poor Mikey inside. Angel spun on her heel and took off down the street in a big hurry.

She felt really strange. She had seen one of the Ninja Turtles transform into a human man. A sexy one at that. Although Mikey did have facial features like Walt, he was much better looking than him even. Weird!

But why Walt? Angel didn't know that when Kano zapped both Zach and Mikey, he was using some of Zach's human DNA to help make Mikey become human completely. That was why he looked like Walt somewhat.

She couldn't help feeling attracted to Mikey then. Sure, she thought the Turtles were cute in their own special reptilian way, but seeing Mikey as a perfectly toned human man in the buff really peaked her interest.

Angel was starting to look forward to seeing Mikey again now. She felt as if she could trust him since she knew him and he had helped her many times before when she was a tween. She never had such trust for other guys like that.

She was a bit wary of his new viciously hateful attitude, but she was willing to overlook that now. The more she thought of it, she realized she had always liked Mikey the best out of the four.

He was the fun loving happy goofy Turtle, usually with some extra around his middle. ("More to love!" he used to say.) For being a supposedly chubby Turtle, he was awfully fast regardless. He was the best athlete really, she noted.

Raph may beat Mikey in the muscles department by a narrow margin, but still, Mikey was the quickest. Angel began to fantasize what it would be like to touch that smooth muscle toned skin of his and run her hand over his...

She shook her head. Sheesh! She was already thinking thoughts like that and she wasn't sure if Mikey would even let her do half of those things in the first place. She had to take it slow and easy here otherwise she would appear like a total pervert.

Angel looked back towards the direction of the Foot headquarters and sighed sadly. She couldn't believe it. She had a major crush on Mikey, just like that! Oh boy...

* * *

After they found a good place to hide Bishop's helicopter, Raph and Mona Lisa helped Don back to the Lair. Poor Don was grief-stricken and extremely worn out, both physically and mentally.

Raph could tell all his brother wanted then was to sleep and be left alone. He wished he knew how to make the cure himself to save Don the trouble, but he didn't. He wasn't a genius. Only Donnie was.

After he helped Don up the steps to get to his room, Raph closed the door. Don practically fell asleep instantly with tears dripping from his closed eyes.

Sad for Don and mad at himself, Raph went downstairs to take his frustrations out on his punching bag. Mona Lisa watched him a short distance away, understanding how he felt.

She kept quiet as Raph angrily slammed his fists into the bag furiously. She left him alone moments later. Noticing that, he grabbed his sais from his belt and tore the punching bag to shreds, its sawdust contents spilling out onto the floor.

"I _can't_ believe this happened! It's all **_my_** fault!" Raph shouted, cutting down the bag from the rope that held it to the ceiling. He kicked it across the dojo and it slumped to a stop at a support beam.

With shoulders heaving, Raph knew he couldn't let Leo find out about this. If he did, Leo would use it against him whenever they fought again. He didn't want anyone reminding him how he royally screwed things up again.

He growled to himself as he thought over how he inadvertently helped Bishop get an easy chance to get at Donnie like that by getting his younger brother drunk. Now Don was that monstrous thing again.

What if he lost his thinking psyche and started attacking mindlessly like he did the first time it happened? Leo would surely find out if Don was loose on the streets butchering people left and right.

Then his cell phone rang. Raph didn't need to look at the caller ID to know it was Leo again. What could he say to him to get him off his shell and not come to the Lair? He wished he knew.

Hoping Leo would just hang up, he let it ring and ring. It stopped for a while, then started again. Raph looked at the caller ID and saw that it was, of course, Leo again. With a disgusted growling sigh, he reluctantly answered it...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 20!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**In the next chapter: Don has lost his 'humanity' while Mikey has lost his terrapin body; what can be done to reverse these new problems? Will Raph be able to keep his blunder a secret or will the fearless leader in blue find out anyway? Where is Kano hiding now and can he ever be destroyed?**

**Keep reading to find out! Until next time! ^_^**


	20. Donatello is Cured or is he?

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.20

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). **Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AuthorNote:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Leo waited impatiently as he called Raph to see what was going on. Finally he picked up the phone and Leo immediately began to ask him what was going on. He'd better have a real answer this time...

"Raph, **_where_** the shell are you? What's going on? You better _tell_ me...!" Leo said, angrily. "Something happened, didn't it? Tell me what happened!"

"_Nothing_ happened, Leo! I _told_ you, I got everything under control here! Don and I are alright! We're back at the Lair now and everything is just **FINE**! You _don't_ have to worry! So get off my shell and **stop** calling!" Raph shouted, slamming his cell phone shut and throwing it somewhere into the living room.

It clattered against the concrete floor and somehow bounced into Mikey's bean bag chair sitting near the TV. Raph didn't want to tell Leo where they were, but if he didn't, Leo might go looking for them at Area 51 and get attacked by Bishop instead.

Bishop... Curse him for doing his evil experiments on his sweet 'innocent' younger brother Don! Punching his fist out and swearing, Raph dropped onto the couch and covered his face with his hands in distress.

His cell phone began to ring again and in a rage, Raph snatched it from Mikey's chair and yanked the battery out. He chucked both the phone and battery into the air, not caring where they landed.

Leo surely would be suspicious and come to the Lair now. If there was only some way to change Don back to normal right away, then Leo wouldn't find out even if he did come home tonight.

Mona Lisa put a hand on one of Raph's heaving shoulders and tried to calm him. "Hey, I can try to make that cure for Donatello. I bet I can start it so Don has less work to do when he wakes up." she offered.

Raph felt a little better. Maybe Mona Lisa could help. She was pretty smart afterall. "Ok." he replied, putting a hand to her back to lead her to Don's lab. "It's the least, we can do for Don."

* * *

Leo frowned as his cell phone told him to leave a message when he called Raph after he rudely hung up on him. He turned his phone off? What the? Why?

'He **_is_** hiding something from me...' Leo thought irritably. He had to go and investigate. He was about to leave for the Lair when two men got in his way as he tried to exit the Foot Headquarters.

Startled, Leo wasn't sure what to do. Only certain humans understood him and his brothers. These humans could be trouble. Though they did look familiar... They looked like Zach and Walt!

Relieved, Leo greeted them with a smile. "Zach! I haven't see you in years!" he said, then noted how weak 'Walt' looked. "Hey, what happened?"

"Leo! Help me!" 'Walt' said in Mikey's voice, throwing Leo off guard

"M-Mikey?" Leo asked, draping Mikey's right arm over his shoulders as he helped carry him in with Zach.

He wasn't sure if this was some kind of sick joke, but when he looked into his eyes, he knew the truth. Those were Mikey's special baby blue eyes, no doubt about it.

"Tell me... What happened?" Leo asked solemnly, feeling his stomach turning. How could Mikey be trapped in Walt's body? Zach cleared up the confusion by giving him the short version of this dilemma.

"Michelangelo, Angel, and I went to stop Kano. But it went horribly wrong...as you can see." Zach explained a little further, building Leo's ire to a boiling point.

"_**WHY**_ didn't you **TELL** me where you were going?!" Leo shouted angrily. "What if you all got _killed_?! How would I know what happened to you?! How could you be so _irresponsible_ like that?!"

"Hey when I first left, you didn't even notice OR care! I even came back to get my other weapon and you were too busy with 'Little Miss Shredder' to notice then either! Why act like you care now when you really don't?!" Mikey shot back, pulling away from his brother.

"How can you say that, Mikey?! I **_DO_** care! I've _always_ cared! I don't want _anything_ happening to you! But something already has and we have to figure out how to reverse it, not argue!" Leo shouted at him, then forced himself to calm down.

"Now, Zach. Tell me _EXACTLY_ what happened." Leo demanded 'gently'.

Zach did so the best he could remember from what Angel told them she had seen. Leo decided to call the Lair's regular phone to get a hold of Donatello. Raph did say they were back home now. Don could help.

But Karai forbade it when she came to the front entrance a few moments later. She had been listening from the stairs and she was upset that he even thought about leaving or calling to the Lair. She didn't want him getting soft whatsoever by returning to the comforts of his home.

She needed him to stay in a warrior mindset, not get a chance to 'remember' what it's like to be a civilian. Leo grew even more upset that she wouldn't let him go home nor call.

Instead of battling it out with her verbally, he decided to keep Mikey's human transformation low key as much as possible. The less said, the better.

Leo planned to take Mikey home without Karai knowing later on. There was no way she could stop him. Karai didn't seem to be worried of Mikey's new problem and even said her science team could get it reversed.

That was something Leo did not trust since her scientists were Chaplin's students. They could easily poison and kill Mikey. Nope. He wasn't trusting those humans to treat Mikey. Only Don could be trusted with this.

Leo took Mikey to their quarters while Karai forced Zach to stay, fearing he may be a spy for her enemies. She didn't point out her suspicions and pretended to be worried for his safety, that the Purple Dragons may come looking for him.

Not wanting to leave Mikey aka Walt 'reborn', Zach agreed to stick around. This would be a good place to hide until the elite Purple Dragons stopped looking for him.

Mikey was given clothes to wear and he felt strange getting in a bed with pants on. Nudity was so much more comfortable and less restricting than itchy tight boxers.

"We'll figure out how to fix this and get your real body back, Mikey. Try to get some sleep. I'll take you home tomorrow night, ok? Don can change you back, I just know it." Leo said, patting his baby brother's shoulder.

"Whatever..." Mikey replied, actually wanting to go to sleep. Then he could have some temporary relief from all this madness. Leo pulled up a chair and sat in it.

"I'm going to make sure nothing else happens to you tonight. Just sleep, Mikey. I'll keep you safe." Leo said, ready to keep a constant vigil on him that night.

'Why does he have to treat me like a helpless hatchling all the time?' Mikey thought irritably. He used to enjoy it when Leo 'babied' him like this. It was a special thing between him and Leo, like it had been with Splinter.

To be cuddled and loved by a father figure, it made Mikey feel so good inside. Since he was a tot, Splinter comforted him in his times of need.

After he died, Leo picked up Splinter's role as 'Father'. While Raph and Don found it annoying, Mikey eagerly accepted it. He desperately needed Splinter's love still and Leo could give it to him...as long as he believed he was Splinter.

But after Leo nearly choked him to death, Mikey was rudely awakened to the cold hard fact that Leo was not Splinter and never would be.

Sure Mikey loved Leo as a brother should, but he loved him even more when he made himself believe Leo was Splinter. Now he was just big bossy brother Leo and it made Mikey feel the loss of Splinter all over again.

It in turn made him bitter and resentful towards Leo. He wanted to love him like before, but why did he have to remind him that he wasn't Splinter? Why couldn't he just let him continue to believe a soothing lie?

Out of the blue, Mikey felt arms go around him from behind and realized that Leo was hugging him. Hearing a few restrained gasps told him that Leo was crying. Huh?

"I'm so sorry, Mikey..." Leo said in a choked-up voice. "You were right, I was too busy with Karai to notice that you were gone earlier... I _should_ have watched you better. _D-mn it...!_ This is all my fault...I'm such a bad brother...Forgive me..."

Leo felt terrible. He felt as if he had failed again. Surely, Splinter must be disappointed in him. Why couldn't he protect his brothers better?

How could he be such an awful brother to them? No wonder they despised his authority. He didn't deserve their love, let alone their respect. He just wasn't good enough... Believing that was so and that his brothers didn't love him back made Leo's eyes burn with hot tears.

"It's not your fault, Leo." Mikey replied, bringing his older brother's forearms closer to his chest as he held them in a semi-hug. His heart welcomed this embrace, although Leo was crushing him. Turtle power really was something to be feared, especially the hugs.

Mikey nuzzled his face into Leo's forearms as felt tears in his eyes too. He had been wrong. Leo did love him. He could feel it through his emotions.

"You're the best brother I could ever hope for. You made life bearable for me after Splinter... After he..." Mikey couldn't say it, since it brought too many bad memories. He had been the one to find Splinter dead in his nest bed.

He was so cold and stiff; Mikey nearly went out of his mind right there and then. But Leo grabbed him and helped him by taking him away from the Lair. He took him some place quiet and comforted Mikey while he cried his heart out.

Leo kept his sorrow at bay to console poor Mikey back to a more stable composure. He held him for hours, soothing him with gentle caresses to his face and shell, something Splinter always did to calm him.

"I know, Mikey... I know..." Leo whispered. Mikey turned around so he could hug him back properly. Leo cherished the embrace, snuggling him with much brotherly love.

Without words, Mikey forgave him and Leo realized that his little baby brother did love him regardless what had happened between them. It comforted and strengthen Leo, giving him back his usually strong confidence.

He looked at Mikey's frail human form and narrowed his eyes in determination. He didn't care what Karai thought or said, Mikey was going back to the Lair. Donnie could fix this, he just knew he could. He had to!

* * *

While Don slept, he had bad nightmares where he was chasing down his loved ones to kill them. Tearing them limb from limb, he shredded his dear brothers one by one.

It was like he couldn't control himself and NEEDED to feed this horrific bestial appetite for bloodshed. Next, he hunted down Casey and April.

He caught Casey first and began to eat him alive while April watched and screamed in horror. He woke up with a startled grunting cry of distress.

From his hanging full length mirror, he saw his monstrous form and it mortified him. Was he really a monster afterall? Was his natural inner beast like how it was in his dream? Was he possibly...evil?

'**_NO!_**' Don thought, forcing his eyes away from the mirror. 'I'm **_not_** a monster! I'm a _scientist_! So what if I was an animal before, it doesn't mean I don't have a heart! I'm part human too, so I can't be a monster! I'm good, not evil!'

He was about to go downstairs to his lab when he noticed a sealed container of something on the table next to his bedroom door. There was a note with it, left by Mona Lisa.

She wrote that she was fairly sure this stuff would be able to start the reversal of Don's hyper mutation. Eager for any kind of escape from this dreadful form, he drank the liquid quickly. He left some in the container to analyze it.

He decided to go downstairs to take the stuff to his lab to do so when he felt strange again. He placed the container on the table and hugged his middle as he backed up to his bed.

Falling on his shell, he squeezed his eyes shut as strong aching flowed over him in waves. Though this pain wasn't as bad as the ungodly agony he suffered at Area 51, it wasn't pleasant.

Suddenly, he felt like he was on dizzying ride and tumbled off the bed to the floor. He struggled to pull himself back onto it as hung onto the bed's foundation for balance.

He bowed his head and trembled as he waited for this extreme vertigo to leave him. But he couldn't wait anymore and passed out. After a long black out period, Don woke up again.

Slowly, he got to his feet when he realized he felt lighter and looked down at himself. He saw his normal legs and feet. Anxiously, he checked himself out in his full length mirror and saw a blessed sight.

He was back to normal! He let out a happy squeaks of joy as he ran his zealous fingers over his face and plastron. Ecstatic, he flung open his bedroom door and raced downstairs.

He saw Raph on the couch with Mona Lisa next to him. They were both sleeping. Unable to hold back his joy, he woke them up and surprised them both. Mona Lisa couldn't believe that her pre-cure seemed to be the right cure for Don.

Excited to learn more, Mona Lisa wanted to write notes down to keep the formula since she had guessed too much of it. Don told her that there were plenty notebooks left in the closet near his room. She left to get one.

Raph couldn't feel any more relieved once he knew Don was ok again. Whew! Now Leo would never know... He didn't need to know either.

He explained to Don how he would rather keep this a secret from Leo. He almost thought Don wouldn't agree since it was Raph's fault for getting Don so drunk. But Don was so happy to be his old self again that he was forgiving.

"Yeah, I don't want Leo knowing either." Don said, nodding. "He won't let us hear the end of it."

"Plus, he'll never let us go anywhere by ourselves again if he did find out." Raph added. "I mean, it's not like we can't go anyway. It's just I can't take that excessive nagging of Leo's. He gets on my nerves so bad, you know?

"I know. All too well unfortunately." Don said, nodding. Raph gave him a smile then.

"I'm glad you're ok again, Donnie." Raph said, playfully punching his shoulder.

"Me too. You jerk." Don punched him back and Raph whacked him again, then hugged him happily.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Mona Lisa asked, giggling.

"You sure are! It's noogie-time!" Raph announced, putting Don in a head lock and rubbing his knuckles into his bald scalp.

"Hey, knock it off!" Don cried, grinning and laughing. He pulled away and put his arm out as an invitation for Mona Lisa to follow him to the lab. Raph felt a bit jealous seeing Don doing that and how quickly Mona Lisa went with him.

Raph followed them since he knew how Don was with the ladies. At least he didn't have to worry about Leo finding out what happened to Don now that he was back to normal. Or so he thought...

* * *

The next morning, Mikey was not satisfied by what was on the menu at the Foot headquarters. Leo told him to just eat the food anyway, but he wouldn't.

On and on he went about how he couldn't stand to eat such rubbery 'food'. He could have prepared the food a million times better. But Karai said she didn't want him in the kitchen, since she already knew how messy he was.

She couldn't afford to pay someone to clean up the mess later as well, so the kitchen was off limits to Mikey. Leo wouldn't let him go out to any restaurants, fearing something bad might happen.

But Mikey complained about it so much that Karai told him to just go where he wanted to eat and be done with it. Leo only agreed to it when Zach said he'd go with him. Mikey promised to keep his cell phone on and call if anything happened.

Zach developed this strange attachment to Mikey ever since he was transformed into a human. He knew he wasn't Walt, but he missed his brother so much that he began to see Mikey as Walt.

When he was a kid, Zach had a bad relationship with Walt for months when he befriended the Turtles. Walt even accused him of trying to replace him with the Turtles, especially Michelangelo, as his new brothers.

Zach did feel as if the Turtles were his brothers, at least better brothers. Walt had been so jealous of the Turtles and almost got them destroyed by Shredder.

But in the end, Walt saw the error of his ways and helped the terrapins before Shredder found the location of their Lair. Ever since then, Walt had been the older brother Zach adored and loved.

Now he was dead and Zach missed him so much. Walt was all Zach had left since their parents had passed away. He felt alone and terribly bitter. Then he saw how Mikey was and that he was going through the same thing.

The orange clad Turtle had lost a loved one too and no one in the world would be able to understand Zach better than Mikey. That was why Zach was growing more attached to him. Through Mikey, Zach could have Walt back in a way.

Happy to get away from Karai, Mikey went to the cafe around the corner and Zach went with him. Angel couldn't believe that Mikey actually showed up and she was really pleased.

"Hey, Mike!" she called, waving. Her smile faded when she saw Zach. What was he doing here? She wanted to be alone with Mikey to try and get closer to him. It would be awkward to do so with Zach there.

"Hey." Mikey said, going into the cafe to get some decent pizza. He had ordered food before, but doing it without being covered head to toe in a disguise felt alien to him.

He didn't need to hide his hands or avoid eye contact with others. He could freely look about and do as he pleased without fear of being discovered. As strange as it was, he liked this change.

With a smaller mouth, it took him longer to eat his pizzas and he didn't even need to eat as much either. Meanwhile, Angel was devising a way to ditch Zach somewhere so she could have some time alone with Mikey.

She was so infatuated with Mikey as he was now. She couldn't remember having the hots for a guy this much before, not even with Kenny.

"Yo, Mike. Want to go to the roller rink down the street?" Angel said, interrupting Zach when he was talking about something. He frowned in irritation.

"You mean the one with the arcade center?" Mikey asked, slowly getting used to being this human. A small spark of happiness fluttered through his soul.

He could actually go out and have fun in public without worrying about anyone seeing he was a Turtle since he was now all human. He would be seen as normal and accepted as such. No one would scream or hide at the sight of him, he was normal!

"Yeah! You wanna go?" she asked eagerly.

"Sure." Mikey said and stood up quickly. Angel got to her feet even faster to race next to Mikey's side. Zach noticed this and shook his head with a crooked grin. He was no fool. He knew it when a lady liked a guy and decided to respect that.

"See you around, Michelangelo. I'm going to look for more leads on you-know-who." Zach said, getting up to leave. He could hunt for leads to where Kano was hiding currently and that would help them both out.

Mikey understood and nodded. "If you find anything out, let me be the first to know." he said, as Angel practically dragged him away. At the arcade center named the Fast Trak Coin, Angel took charge in everything they did.

They spent about an hour at the roller rink and then blew three hours away at the arcade. For the first time in days, Mikey was enjoying himself.

When they were skating at the rink, Angel accidentally ran into him and sent them sprawling to the polished floor. Other skaters had laughed at them, but they didn't notice since they were laughing so hard themselves.

The joyful laughter and giggling continued at the arcade and Mikey got lost in happiness with Angel as they played game after game. He nearly felt like his old self and inadvertently was joking out of the blue like he used to.

When he realized how joyful he felt, he was suddenly overcome by guilt. He didn't want to feel guilty, but he did. Kameko would never get to experience the joys of life, but Mikey still could.

Was that why he felt guilty? Or was it because he was having fun with another girl? He didn't want to replace Kameko, but he could tell that Angel was infatuated with him.

Unfortunately, he did not have any feelings for her and he knew how devastating it was to be dumped. It happened to him before with Mitsu, though that was a good thing since it really would have never worked out.

Mikey wondered how to break it to Angel gently without crushing her heart...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 21!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**Current events/In the next chapter: Don seemingly has returned to normal for now and tinkers in his lab on a new invention which requires expensive equipment to complete. He searches for a way to obtain the equipment and finds a new job in a night club that has an unusual theme to it...  
Mikey has a new problem on his hands with letting Angel down gently, (such a thing is never a easy task). Will he be able to do it and not hurt her feelings?  
Chaplin indirectly sends an emotional wedge between Leo and Karai and things don't go well for them.  
Mona Lisa and Raph spend some quality time together, but end up in the middle of a gang war!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	21. Discovery of the HuAnimals Night Club

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.21

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). **Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**Slash the Turtle is featured in this fic, but since I never got to see the Archie Comics version of him, so I'll create my own personality/history/background for him. Hope it's somewhat like the one people like best of him. I want to do him some justice since he was such an unappreciated character in the Fred Wolf cartoons.  
Also Rahzar gets a mention here. He and Tokka will show up later on (they will be like the 90's Fred Wolf film version of them which I find their loyal friendship very charming. The 2nd live action movie's version will not be accounted for since it clashes with the 90's cartoon version, sorry movie lovers!).**  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

After going over Mona Lisa's notes on her pre-cure for him, Donatello asked to be alone so he could do his favorite thing. Tinkering. It had been so long since he had done some real good tinkering in his own lab.

Raph seemed more than happy to leave him be so he could have Mona Lisa all to himself. They went out somewhere, but Don didn't care to pay any mind since he was enthralled with his work.

Now that he was cured, he could enjoy himself by creating something new and exciting to make life easier for them all. There was a new invention he had on the tip of his mind.

But when he tried to create it, Don realized he needed more equipment. Don searched for what he needed on the internet.

Unfortunately, they were fairly expensive parts. Don was left with a problem. How could he get these parts? Stealing- er, borrowing was out since the equipment he needed was sensitive and couldn't be jostled about.

Should he 'borrow' the parts, the security guards might notice and chase him. It would be hard to be stealthy carrying large parts like those. Plus, he couldn't risk damaging any of what he needed as they were in limited quantities to start with.

What he could do is buy them from the internet and have them delivered some place like a community college in the rear and pick them up. But that, of course, took money. And plenty of it.

He had refused his pay from Karai and he wouldn't be caught dead using any of her money to fund his inventions. He wanted nothing to do with that psycho woman's plans of winning a wasteful war so she could rule the city.

Why, oh **_WHY_** did Leo have to like Karai anyway? Couldn't he see that she was bad and power hungry? Don doubted Karai truly cared for Leo. She only wants to use him AND them. Hmph! Karai would be the end of them, he just knew it.

As Don searched the newspapers to find a job he could do while in disguise, he noticed an ad for buy one get one free pizza in a bad section of the city. Thinking of Mikey, Don pulled on a trench coat and hat to go there.

Raph had said Leo might come home to the Lair any time now and surely Mikey would be with him. He would be hungry too so Don was going to cheer him up with some pizzas.

Even though he couldn't afford those parts, he could still afford pizzas. He walked towards that dangerous region of the city and as usual, he encountered some muggers along the way.

Tired of fighting to keep what was his, Don simply took off his hat and waited. The goons were frightened by his appearance at first, but laughed it off.

They thought he was wearing a Halloween mask. And they didn't go away like Don wanted them to. Sighing, he pulled out his bo staff from his back and took a fighting stance.

The goons began their attack, but they were easily defeated. The one guy with a pistol didn't have a chance as Don whacked the gun out of his hand with the end of his bo.

A few punches and kicks later, Don left them beaten and moaning at the street corner. He went along his way, hoping he wouldn't run into more low lives. He didn't like to fight, but he would if he had to.

Play-fighting was a little different; he was a tad more open to that. But a challenging real fight with his brothers (the kind Leo preferred) wasn't something that peaked his interest. It usually involved him getting battered and bruised in the end.

Sure, he could fight well, but his heart just wasn't into it. So his brothers were usually better fighters than he was. He didn't care. He was a scientist, not a gladiator. Pain was something he wanted to avoid, not ask for.

Finally, he arrived at his destination. Unfortunately, the place was closed. Disappointed that he walked all this way for nothing, Don was about to turn around to go back home when something caught his eye.

Down the street was a bunch of flashing neon lights and fairly large crowd trying to get into a night club. With his natural terrapin night vision, Don could see that the people were dressed up as different animals of all things.

Curious, he went down there and hung around the back of the crowd. The people entered the night club and Don followed them in. An amazing sight displayed before his brown eyes as he took in his new surroundings.

The people going about in the club were either dressed up as animals or had major plastic surgery to make them look like real animals. There was an abundance of cat people, mostly big cat species.

A pack of wolves people were tightly huddled in one corner of the pub. Don thought he saw someone familiar. He squinted to see him better. No way! It couldn't be...Rahzar?!

Then a pretty lady with a double-D cup size passed in front of him and Don's eyes followed her. The waitress was dressed up as a rabbit, complete with the fluffy tail on her rump.

There was hooting and whistling at the performers on stage. Don was quickly distracted once more by beauty. He happily watched the ostrich ladies dancing, kicking their long smooth legs up into the air.

He was standing in the way of where people walked and was promptly shoved. The guy who pushed him was a lizard of some kind; forked tongue, scales, and all.

"Hey, whoa! Sorry there, fellow reptile. Didn't mean to push ya there." he said, grinning. Don shrugged, not bothered by the collision. He barely felt it anyway.

"No problem." Don replied, then kept the guy there for a moment to ask questions. "This dressing up as animals thing; is this how it is all the time here?"

"You bet it is, bro! This is the only tavern that accepts people like us." the guy said, his smile never fading. He noted the confused look on Don's face and he went on.

"Hu-animals, man! You! Me! Jeez, you're as hu-animal as they get and you don't even know it?" The lizard guy laughed and slapped Don's shell in a friendly manner.

"That's some awesome plastic surgery, man! Your shell feels real and everything! That's a wicked look you got there!" he praised, then walked away with a wave. "See ya around man!"

Don gave a half wave and looked back to the stage. It currently was empty so Don wandered over to the bar and sat on a stool. Not wanting to get drunk again, he ordered water and inspected it for a while before drinking it.

A few moments later, a lady was rushing around behind him and muttering angrily to herself. "Where is he? _Where is he?_" Then she noticed Don and grabbed him by the marginal of his shell, surprising him.

"_**THERE**_ you are!" she cried, turning him around to face her. "_Where_ have you _been_? You're _supposed_ to be on stage in five minutes! Get these on and get up there!"

"Huh!? What?" Don said as she gave him a shiny belt, plus elbow and knee pads with holographic tassels attached to them. The lady's friend from another night club was supposed to have sent this new dancer an hour ago. Why was he so late?

"There's _no_ time! _Hurry_ up!" the lady hissed and pulled him away to a dressing room. Don tried to tell her that he wasn't the person she thought he was and she stopped.

"You're a turtle, aren't you?" she asked, eyeing him funny. She needed a new type of dancer right away. The customers were tired of seeing bird people dance on the stage. It was time to switch to reptilian dancers.

"Yeah, but I've never been here before. I-" Don tried to say.

"You can dance, can't you?" This lady was persistent.

"Yeaah..." Don replied. He was the best dancer amongst his brothers afterall. Mikey was the best singer, next to Raph. He hoped she wouldn't ask him to sing as he didn't get as much practice as Mikey did.

"I don't have to sing, do I?" he asked, making sure. He had plenty of practice dancing as he did it almost everyday, but not singing. He could carry a tune, but it wasn't really his thing. Dancing was.

"No, no. I'm paying for you to just dance. Twenty-five dollars an hour for a simple step and fifty for an erotic strip-down." she said, peaking Don's interest.

He needed a job and here was one just waiting for him! And he didn't need to be in disguise; he could be his beautiful terrapin self here. The pay was very good and there were sexy women everywhere. What more could he ask for?

"Ah, good! You brought your own pole. That's perfect! The one on stage hasn't been set up yet, so use yours. Be ready when I get back." The lady hurried away, leaving Don to wonder what just happened.

No way would he disappoint this pretty lady. Especially not after she offered him such a high-paying job that he needed. What great luck!

Don put the fancy belt and pads on. He glanced in the mirror in the room and liked how flashy he looked. He playfully flexed his muscles, pleased with his handsome reflection.

The lady came back and praised him on how good he looked, boosting the now happy terrapin's confidence. "Sweet! You're just perfect! Come on now, mister... Uh, what was your name?"

"Donatello Hamato. But my friends call me Don." he replied, giving a last name to make him appear more 'normal'.

"So, does that make you Italian or Japanese?" she asked, constantly eyeing his smooth toned muscles. Don was enjoying it to the maximum. What guy doesn't like an admiring girl?

"Both, I guess." Don said, not sure what was the right answer. This lady was the only person here who was not as heavily made up as an animal.

She only had a pair of bunny ears on clipped into her hair. These were people pretending to be animals, not real animals being part human like he was.

He didn't know how these hu-animal people would treat a real humanized mutant turtle, though he guessed it would be more positive than how Rose treated him.

Thinking about her made Don cringe in painful depreciation. The lady asked him what was wrong and he quickly did away with those thoughts of Rose.

"Nothing... It's nothing." Don repeated in a stronger voice and changed the subject. "What's your name?"

"Cleopatra Satin, but you can call me Cleo. Anyway, we'll have to do formalities later. You have to go on stage now." She herded him to the stage and announced him.

Don felt a bit nervous as he never danced publicly before and worried that these people might not like him. Nevertheless, he swallowed his anxiety and pretended that those people weren't there as he began to dance like he always did.

It wasn't too long before the women in the audience started to squeal and holler with wild approval. Many praising comments were given, pleasing Don a lot.

Growing more confident, he let loose his best hip thrusting moves on his new fans. The ladies screamed in joy, throwing paper flowers, a thing customers did in this pub to show that they wanted more.

Don used his bo staff to perform fancy hybrid fighting dance moves, such a twirling upside down while kicking his legs out in a full 360 circle. The boss lady, Cleo was watching and judging him.

If he didn't do well, she would have to get rid of him and get someone else. But that wasn't the case at all. He was amazing!

The customers seemed to love him and martial arts hybrid dance moves were really something else. It was new and different. He was an instant hit and Cleo had plans on keeping him there for good.

When it was time for Don's show to end, the customers begged for another showing. So Cleo let him go on again. Don didn't mind since he was working some tension off down below.

Near the end of his second showing, a zebra girl glomped him on stage and forced a kiss on his beak. Cleo had the zebra girl sent back to the tables and reminded everyone that they are not to touch her dancers or else she'd call the cops.

Cleo took Don back to the dressing rooms and let him know what a good job he was doing. She told him to come back the next night too.

"Wait here. I'll be back to give you your pay." she said, hurrying away. Don raised an eye ridge and grinned a bit. Under the table pay. He didn't need to worry about giving a fake social security number or deal with taxes for this job. Good!

Don took off the pads and belt, placing them on the dresser table. He put his leather belt back on and slipped his bo staff into its holder behind his shell.

Cleo came back shortly after Don was pulling on his trench coat. She handed him an envelope with cash inside. "You were just perfect out there, Don. I'd like you to come back tomorrow night around ten." she said, patting his shoulder.

"No problem." Don agreed, looking to where her hand stayed on his shoulder. Unable to help herself, she ran her hand down the length of his arm to feel his muscles.

Cleo really liked this good looking terrapin dancer so much that she couldn't believe it herself. He was covered in smooth strong muscles; not overly bulky or thin, he was just right. He was simply perfect...

Donnie was confidence personified at this point, so he decided to try his luck with this pretty lady even though she was his boss now. He could tell when a girl liked him and this Cleo lady definitely liked him, no doubt.

"Cleo, I was wondering..." Don began, smiling gently at her as she withdrew her hand.

"If you'd like to have a drink with me after work?" she asked, being as forward as he was. Don's eyes gave her the answer as she grinned back.

"I'd love to." she said, tucking a lock of her dyed blue hair back behind her ear. "I know we just met and everything, but when I saw you dancing on stage... Something inside of me clicked. You know what I mean?"

"Click?" Don pretended to be confused, then chuckled. "Yeah, I know. A click, a spark. How about a flame?"

Cleo was beginning to love that sly sexy 'critical' look of his. "Maaaybe. We'll see." she teased, pressing her fingers to his chest and dancing them across his upper scutes.

"Yes we will..." Don replied, taking her hand and kissing it. Then his lips traveled up her arm. She laughed and playfully pushed him away.

"Whoa there, boy!" she cried, hiding her hand from him. "Frisky, aren't you?"

Don shrugged cutely. She smiled, stifling a giggle. "I like that. You certainly got what I'm looking for in a new dancer. Meet me after midnight. You can walk me home."

"Sure." Don watched her leave the room, her eyes speaking to him as she kept looking over her shoulder at him.

Don hung around the night club, waiting for it to close so he could get to know Cleo better. He had to battle many ladies off himself as he sat at a table to watch the other female dancers, lion cat girls this time.

Sure he liked the ladies to glomp him, but not if he wanted to snag Cleo for his own. He was a one lady Turtle, although having a harem might be fun.

Nah. Keeping track of so many females would only wear him down, so one was enough. Don looked over to where the wolf people were at, but most of them were gone. Rahzar wasn't there anymore.

Don sure hoped that dog wasn't watching him while he was dancing. That gave him a creepy feeling, plus it embarrassed him. Not that he should care much what Rahzar thought, but still.

He wondered what his brothers would think of his new job. Don had a bad feeling that Leo would instantly disapprove. Mikey would probably tease him, if he ever returned to his old self that is. Raph would probably beg him not to tell others that they were related.

He would need to keep his new job a secret from them, especially Leo. If Leo could do whatever he wanted with 'Little Miss Shredder', then Don should have a right to do as he pleased to.

Why should he answer to Leo for what he did anyway? He was just his brother, not his father...

Splinter...

Splinter probably wouldn't approve of this either. But he was gone now and Don wasn't a kid anymore. He was an adult and this was his life. It wasn't like he was going to become a porno star from all this.

Thoughts of how this could tarnish his 'Sweet Innocent Donatello' image were dashed.

'I need those parts so I can make that invention. I know I can recreate that anti-aging ray so I can end world hunger. I'll make it a little different so it doesn't turn out to be another 'fountain of youth'.' he thought.

He was really doing this all for a good cause. If he could be a professor at a college university, he certainly would. But being a Turtle, he couldn't. Which led him right back to that dilemma he had with Rose.

'Why did she have to reject me for being something I can't help? How can she be so...narrow-minded?' Don thought. He felt his heart ache with deep sorrow.

All his life, he had to deal with rejection for being what he was. A mutant Turtle, oh boy! That's not the norm to those intolerant 'afraid-of-anything-different-than-them' humans.

'At least this place is open-minded.' Don thought, making new acquaintances here and there. In one area of the pub, there was a gay group of hu-animal people, though they hardly looked anything like hu-animals. They weren't dressed up or anything.

Don didn't mind them as long as they didn't hit on him. But he knew how much Leo REALLY disliked such humans. Raph wasn't crazy about them either, so he usually avoided them.

Mikey was open to those people as he liked to cross-dress even though he wasn't gay himself. Don did wonder about Mikey before, but not anymore after he saw how hung up he was on Kameko.

Before Kameko and Karai's fruity battle for the city crap, Mikey had made friends while Leo made an army of enemies with the homosexual communities.

More often than not, Leo would lecture them and tell them how wrong he believed them to be. He tried to get them to change and actually succeeded, which infuriated certain others.

Don wasn't sure if Leo was still converting the humans like that, he didn't know. He had no desire to watch what Leo was doing with his free time. That was his business, not Don's.

A small fight broke out in the gay area and a tan guy wearing dreadlocks was being slammed into the wall. Three other guys were spitting in his face, punching the snot out of him, and blasting obscenities at the poor man.

Being so used to springing into action when injustice appears, Don stood up quickly to stop the beating. A clawed hand went down on his shoulder to stop him.

"Leave the mammals be."

Don recognized that voice and turned to see someone he thought he'd never lay eyes on again. Slash! The dark green Turtle shook his head disapprovingly.

"I can't let that guy get tortured like that!" Don hissed back, pulling away roughly. Slash 'hmph'ed contemptuously.

"We animals have to fend for ourselves. Not expect a hero to come every moment there's trouble. It's a stupid mammal problem. Let them handle it." he said. Don narrowed his eyes at him critically.

"I happen to care about those 'stupid' mammals." Don scowled, hating this prejudice attitude Slash was giving him. The guy thinks he can just appear and tell him what to do? Nuh-uh. No way!

"And don't tell me what I should or should not do!" Don added and went over to help the man with yellow dreadlocks. Don tried to reason with them verbally as he'd rather avoid a physical fight.

But as usual, the men weren't interested in listening to reason. The first guy swung his fist which Don simply turned around and he hit his hard shell instead.

While that guy was nursing his wounded fist, another tried to charge at him. Don used him as a 'weapon' by grabbing and throwing him into the other guy, causing them to fall into a pitiful heap of swearing rage.

"Look, I really don't want to hurt you. Just leave this guy alone. Whatever he's done, it can be worked out by talking about it." Don explained.

"D-mn vigilante! Mind your own f-cking business! Jesse here owes us!" cried one guy, named Jay. He was the one who hurt his hand on Don's shell.

"Yeah, he owes us for all the pot he STOLE off us!" snapped another, called Rally.

"So unless you can cough up the cash, Jesse, we're gonna wail on you every time we see your sh-tty worthless face!" hollered another, known as Profat-Daddy. He and his two friends were part of a gang called the Iceatopes.

Their leader was known as The One. Profat-Daddy was the leader's right hand man and if there was trouble, he was there to correct it so The One didn't have to waste his time with it.

"So get your d-mned green scaly nose out of our affairs, douchebag!" added Profat-Daddy, flipping Don the 'Finger'. "Whatcha supposed to be anyway, freak?! Some kinda d-mned frog-wanna-be?"

"Try terrapin, 'friend'." Don replied, his threshold for trash-talking humans was now spent. Usually Don didn't take pleasure in beating others up, but he did then. They really needed a lesson in respecting others and pain was a good tool.

Jesse was grateful that finally someone came to save him from another daily beating. He thanked Don graciously and went as far as to kiss his feet. Don moved away and told him it was the least he could do.

"I suggest not coming here anymore." Don said, but Jesse shook his head. "It don't matter much. Wherever I go, they follow me. Besides, my honey-cat's dances here. I love to watch 'im."

"I see you are the new dancer here." he added, worrying Don. Jesse noted his troubled look and waved his hand at him.

"Nah, nah. Not to worry, reptiles ain't my thing. I dig only my sexy tiger man, Kelly. Thanks for helping me out, though watch yer back. The Iceatopes never forget a face." Jesse warned and hurried off when he saw someone.

It must have been Kelly. Don looked away when the two guys kissed. He didn't understand it nor did he want to. He was perfectly happy chasing after girls.

Finally midnight came around and Don helped Cleo close up the night club. He noticed her testing a taser, the electricity crackling loudly.

"So that's how you get home safely at night, huh?" Don asked. Cleo nodded. "It's my best weapon. This thing can shoot out a good jolt several feet away. Works wonders on the creeps lurking around here."

"Well, this is a bad part of the city. I was nearly mugged when I came here. But I took care of them." Don boasted, punching a fist into his open hand to express himself better.

"I bet you did. You must workout everyday to get muscles like these." she commented, running a hand down his arm.

"My older brother makes me train. I don't like to really. I'm more a scientist than anything else." Don said, walking side by side Cleo down the dark street.

"A scientist? _You?_ You sure don't look like it!" Cleo was surprised, her laughing upsetting Don. Did she think he was just a pretty boy with no brains? Hmph.

"You're...not joking... Okieee..." she said more to herself than to him. She felt bad for offending him. She didn't think he was dumb or anything, but a scientist? He didn't look like one to her. He looked like a giant turtle, period.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." she said then. She felt a bit awkward since she wasn't super smart herself. She was only smart business-wise, other than that, she was almost as bad off as Mikey. "So, you're really a scientist?"

"Yes, I have my own lab and I'm glad you gave me this job so I can buy some equipment I need." Don explained, then did away with his ill feelings and smiled at her.

"I'm glad I could help. I just wondered why my friend Sam didn't send you over sooner."

"Who's Sam?" Don asked, hoping that he wasn't a boyfriend of Cleo's.

"Didn't she send you? I thought she sent you." Cleo said, realizing a mistake may have been made.

"No. I don't know who she is or anything. No one sent me. I just walked in." Don replied, at ease to know 'Sam' was really a girl. But did he accidentally take some other guy's job? Uh oh...

"Hold on, I'll call her." Cleo pulled out her cel phone and pressed a few buttons, speed dialing her friend.

"Isn't it kinda late to be calling someone?" he asked.

"No, it's alright. She owns an all night club five miles from here. She's always up at night." Cleo said, then talked with Sam. She told her that she couldn't find a dancer to send her that night and didn't have time to let her know.

After Cleo hung up, Don expressed his concerns of stealing someone else's job from them. She patted his shoulder again to reassure him.

"It's fine, Don. Sam said she couldn't send me anybody and you didn't take anyone's job from them. I'm just so glad you came when you did otherwise my customers would be having a fit even now. It's not easy to find good male dancers, you know."

"Lucky for you that I love to dance." Don said playfully, doing a fast naughty jig for her. She giggled and sighed from the laughter.

"Oh, Don! You're so funny!" she gasped. Thankfully, they weren't bothered by any criminals on the way to Cleo's house. Don told her a little about his brothers and she let him know about her younger sister.

Soon, they were at her townhouse and she unlocked the door. "Come in. We can talk some more before you go home. I bet you're hungry. I've got pizza." she offered.

"Cleo, you just said the magic word." Don said, grinning. He followed her in and lost track of time as he spent three hours talking with her.

Then he remembered he had his cel phone off and turned it back on. He went back to talking to Cleo happily. She told him practically everything. Ever since her husband and daughter were killed in a plane crash, she was lonely and depressed.

Then she made friends with some animal right activists at the local pet store and together they helped her open her own night club supporting animal rights. Cleo loved animals and hu-animal people fascinated her.

She was so open and honest, that Don felt as if he could maybe trust her. He carefully asked her what she thought of real animals becoming human-like.

"I don't know if that's possible, but hey! Yeah, that'd be really awesome. I always wanted to know what my animal friends are thinking. It'd be really interesting to hear their point of view." Cleo said, drinking some warm milk.

"What if I told you that it is possible and there are real animal-people out there?" Don asked, finishing his second can of soda. He really loved those fizzy drinks. Ah, sugar!

"You're not pulling my leg, are you?" Cleo could see in his expression that he wasn't and wanted to know more.

"Oh yeah! Right, you're a scientist! Did you create something then? I hope you didn't hurt any lab animals, they don't deserve that." Cleo pointed out.

"I'd never hurt my kin..." Don said quietly and Cleo wasn't sure if she heard him right.

"_What?_"

**To Be Continued in Chapter 22!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**Current events/In the next chapter(s): Don's about to tell Cleo what he is when Leo calls and demands he return home to find a cure for Mikey's 'human curse' problem RIGHT NOW and he also wants to know, 'WHERE is Raph?' Tension already builds at this point. It won't be pretty.  
ding ding ding! Match between the blue and purple clad terrapins will start soon, be there!  
Mikey has a new problem on his hands with letting Angel down gently, (such a thing is never a easy task). Will he be able to do it and not hurt her feelings?  
Chaplin indirectly sends an emotional wedge between Leo and Karai and things don't go well for them.  
Mona Lisa and Raph spend some quality time together, but end up in the middle of a gang war!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	22. Raph's Troubles & Leo VS Don Fight 1

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.22

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). **Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**For a while, the characters Slash the Turtle, Rahzar and Tokka will be featured within the story.**  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Leo brought Mikey back to the Lair that night to find it empty and Raph's cel phone torn from its battery. Did something bad happen to them? Were they attacked?

After Leo left Mikey in his room and closed the door, he paused. He thought back to the promise he made to Splinter during his own private memorial service.

He had bent over on his knees and hands onto a cushion with a photo of Splinter before him. It was a very special photo that Leo and his brothers took of Splinter during his birthday with an instant Polaroid camera.

They put it in a wooden and glass frame that Mikey found in a dumpster behind a photography store. The glass only had a short crack in the left hand corner. Hardly noticeable too. The wood wasn't damaged and the stand still held the thing up too.

Humans were so picky. The Turtles were more than glad to have something like that. They used it to frame Master Splinter's photo of him standing there and smiling. While Leo mourned, he promised Splinter that he would care for his brothers as if they were his own.

"I won't let you down, Master..." Leo had said to the photo of his late adopted father. "I will protect them from harm and keep them safe for you. I'll adopt them as you did. They are my responsibility now. My...children."

Earlier, he had to console Mikey as he was the one who found Splinter dead that terrible day. Raph left the Lair immediately once he saw Splinter, while Don just stood there staring in disbelief.

Then he sank to the ground, tears streaming down his face as he continued to stare with blurry eyes. Mikey began to accuse Don of not curing Splinter's cancer in time and it was his fault that he was dead.

At first, it seemed like Don didn't hear Mikey's hateful words, but shortly it was clear that he did. Squeezing his eyes shut as he bent over, Don shook his head as he began to slam the side of his right fist to the floor.

"Don?" Leo said, bending down near him in attempts to comfort him. He put his hand on his shoulder, but Don jerked away as he suddenly straightened up and stood quickly. He went to his room without saying anything.

Leo scolded Mikey for blaming Don like that, but that only made his little brother explode in heated sorrow. So he led Mikey away from the Lair and let him scream out his anguish as he held him, allowing him to punch his chest in doleful rage.

Afterwards, Mikey slowly regained his composure and Leo took him back home. He went to console Don next, but he refused it. He asked to be alone so Leo did.

Finding Raph somewhere topside took hours, but Leo did find him at the last place he looked. In an alley close to a bar, Raph was drinking himself into a deep drunken stupor, trying to drown out the pain of losing Splinter.

Leo anticipated a fiery confrontation from him, but instead it was Raph who hurried to him. "Leo! I'm so glad to see you, bro!" he slurred. Leo knew he had to be drunk to want to say that.

Poor Raph stumbled towards his older brother, but crashed to the littered ground beneath him after a few steps. Leo blinked back his tears as he went to him.

The blue masked terrapin warrior hoisted his brother onto his shell and took him home. Once he had Raph safely in his bed, that was when Leo went to his own room to start his memorial service for Splinter.

He never cried so hard in his life as his body was wracked with powerful lamentation. If only he could have done something to stop Master Splinter's cancer or helped Donatello find a cure! It was all too late now. He was gone. Forever...

Leo shook his head to clear his thoughts. Splinter had been dead for years now, there was no sense in reliving that pain. He had a job to do. More importantly, he had a promise to keep and nothing was going to stop him from doing it.

'I _WILL_ keep them safe. I'll protect them with every ounce of strength I have in this body. I _WON'T_ fail you, Master Splinter. I'll make you proud, even in death.' Leo thought to himself as he called Don's cel phone.

To his extreme worry, Don's phone gave him the answering service instead of ringing. He struggled to calm himself and not believe the worst has happened to them.

"Ok, either those two are in danger or they're hiding something from me. Either way, they're both in trouble." Leo said to himself as he tried calling again and again. Still the answering service.

"D-mmit, Don turn your phone **_on_**!" Leo growled, pacing as he kept calling over and over. Then finally, it did began to ring. Don answered it, sounding just fine. That made Leo extremely angry because he was worrying his head off for nothing.

**HOW COULD DON BE _SO_ IRRESPONSIBLE BY LEAVING HIS PHONE OFF LIKE THAT?!?!**

"Where the **SHELL** are you?!" Leo snapped, surprising Don a bit. What was he so mad about?

"The eastern side, why?" Don replied, leaning in his chair and tapping his fingers on Cleo's kitchen table.

"WHAT are you doing over there?! Get home right now! Mikey was cursed by Kano and now he's a human! You need to change him back somehow, so hurry up and get back here!" Leo shouted, unable to believe this.

How dare he just go that far off without telling him? He knew better than that! Everything had to be 'ok'ed by Leo first or else he'd go sick with worry. What if something DID happen? How would he be able to find him then?

"Ok, ok!" Don said, hanging up quickly. Sheesh, was that embarrassing! Cleo looked troubled as she could hear how angry Leo sounded on the phone as he was yelling at Don.

"Sorry, I've got to get going." Don said irritably and stood up. Didn't Leo know it wasn't nice to bother a Turtle when he's trying to get to know a pretty lady? What a jerk!

He wondered what Leo meant by Mikey being human. He screamed at him so much and so fast that Don wasn't sure if that was what he really said. Oh well, he had better head back or else Leo would really lecture him to death on the evils of leaving home without consulting him first.

"Who was that?" she asked. "I hope you're not in trouble."

"Oh, I'm in trouble alright." Don said disgustedly, then shook his head. "That's my older brother, Leonardo. He means well, but he's just so annoying. He thinks it's his job to keep tabs on me and my other two brothers."

"That's right, you told me a little about him. The Nagging Lecturer?" she said with a giggle. Don laughed a bit.

"Yeah, but don't ever let him hear you say that. Especially don't tell him I told you either." he said, winking at her.

"I don't know if I'd ever want to tell him anything. He sounded awfully angry there. I'm sooo scared of him. That evil nagger from shell!" Cleo teased, making claws out of her hands and growling.

Don snickered and went towards her front door. Cleo was almost like Mikey, except that she was female and a human. Aside from his sexual attraction to her, he really started to like her.

"See you tomorrow night, Don." Cleo said, touching his shoulder again as he faced her to say goodbye. He smiled sweetly and brought her close to hug her quick.

"Sure thing, boss." Don said playfully, kissing her hand again. She giggled and then remembered something. "Before your brother called, what were you saying about those lab animals?"

"I..." Don wanted to tell her how he had been a cute critter before he was mutated, but then he feared she would instantly reject him like how Rose did. Even though she was more open to this sort of thing, Don lost his nerve to tell her afterall.

Again his cel phone rang and Cleo understood from the look on Don's face as he checked the caller ID, it was Leo the Lecturer again.

"You better go." she said quickly. She didn't want to get mixed up with other people's family affairs afterall. Don nodded and thanked her for the job again, plus the pizzas and sodas.

"Oh wait! Here." She handed him a container with four pizzas inside. "Maybe your brother will calm down once he sees these."

"I wish." Don said and took the container. "Bye, Cleo. It was great meeting you!" He ran off into the darkness and she sighed, holding onto her doorframe.

'What an awesome guy...' she thought as she closed and locked her door. In a few moments, her phone rang. Cleo knew it was her sister as she was the only one to call at this hour.

"Hey, Sis." she said after answering the phone. She kept nodding her head to what her sister was saying. "Yes, yes. I know Kano needs a new elite general. I think I found one. His name is Don. Yes, he's really strong."

She went on explaining how great Donatello was, but didn't say how he looked. She paused as she listened to her sister reply.

"Ok, that's good. I'll watch Don for a few months and let you know if you should send Brad over to my place to inspect him. Ok, I'll keep you updated in the meantime. No problem, Sis. Bye." Cleo hung up, smiling.

If she could get her sister's son Brad to accept Don as a warrior for Kano, that would mean she could open more night clubs and really start raking in the profits. Worrying about money would be a thing of the past then. Wonderful!

* * *

During the same time Don discovered Cleo's hu-animal pub, Raph and Mona Lisa were checking out the night life near the same bad section.

They were at Sam's bar instead, spending most of their time there during the early hours of the morning. They danced together until they were exhausted.

Mona Lisa was having the time of her life. Finally she could actually enjoy being with a guy, not being forced to pleasure him or serve him drinks like a lowly slave.

Slow dancing with Raph was like a fangirl's dream come true. But the greatest thing was that he felt the same as her. She could tell the way he held her close with the side of his face buried in her brown hair.

When the song ended, they pulled apart just enough to face each other. As she stared into his caramel colored eyes, she instantly felt that deep affection for him again. She had to be in love, no doubt about it.

He must have felt it as well since he kissed her handsomely. She kissed him back, nipping his bottom lip sweetly. She traced her finger over it and his beak, tapping the sharp tip playfully.

"I'm really having fun, Raphael..." she said softly, kissing him again. He smiled, sending his fingers through her soft hair. She was bringing the best out of him and that was an amazing feat to pull off.

"So am I." he said, his heart slowly healing from Mona Lisa's companionship. He practically felt like his old self again because of her. He couldn't describe how grateful he was of her. Love was actually an understatement here.

He invited her to have some beer before they left. They hung around the bar for a while until Raph figured they had better head back to the Lair. If Leo was there, Raph was in for an earful of lecturing and nagging.

Going to Raph's motorcycle, he helped Mona Lisa put her helmet on while she helped him put his own. You could feel the love radiating off them. She bent over his shell and locked her hands in front of his stomach as he revved the engine.

Taking off into the dark streets, Mona Lisa felt giddy with joy and excitement. Raphael, one of the real Ninja Turtles, really really liked her. This was just too amazing and awesome that she could barely believe it.

'Maybe...maybe he loves me even... I sure do...' she thought, closing her eyes and snuggling against his shell. Raph felt her cuddling him and grinned with delight.

With Mona Lisa, he could finally move on. He would miss Lotus, but at least she died well with honor. Raph vowed to protect Mona Lisa from harm. She wouldn't be taken from him like how Lotus was.

The more he thought about it, the more he believed that she was meant for him and no other. He was falling in love with her and he didn't want to lose her to anything or anyone.

Suddenly, a hail of gunfire exploded from both sides of the street they were driving through. There was no time to avoid it as it happened instantly without warning. Another vehicle was coming the other way and the driver reacted by swerving.

They were coming at Raph and Mona Lisa. He tried to dodge them, but lost control as the car hit them and they went flying off the bike. The car slammed into a telephone pole and smoke began to billow from the crinkled hood.

Raph scrambled to where Mona Lisa fell, hollering her name in distress. He cried out in pain as he realized he had been shot in the shoulder. Not mention all the scrapes and cuts he received from the asphalt, he had been injured badly.

He was in considerable pain, but he ignored it. Nothing was going to stop him from going to Mona Lisa and helping her. She had been sent through some metal garbage cans and she must have hit the brick wall since he found her slumped against it.

"Oh no! Mona Lisa! Lisa!! Lisa?!" Raph shouted, shaking her. "D-mmit, say something! Come on, wake up!"

Raph helped Mona Lisa into a sitting position. She moaned softly in pain as she weakly tried to hold her left leg. She had been hit in the thigh somewhere and bleeding profusely.

The gun fight was still going on so they had to take cover. Raph picked up Mona Lisa into his arms and took her to an alley nearby to get away from the bullets.

How dare those bastards start a stupid gun battle at a public street?! What was wrong with those idiots?! Raph grit his teeth as he felt viciously angry. Mona Lisa was knocked out and severely hurt. He had to get her back to the Lair immediately.

As the mayhem continued just a few yards away, Raph's eyes traveled to where his motorcycle had gone. It had smashed into a concrete wall across the street. It was completely totaled...

"**D-mn, d-mn, D-MN!!!**" Raph swore a lot more, his blood boiling over. It was like a volcano of wrath erupted inside him. First, Mona Lisa and now his bike?!

"How dare those d-mned whack-bags f-ck up my bike!! Motherf-ckers!" Raph snarled, punching the brick wall in frustration. He just got it detailed too!

That was IT! He couldn't stand it anymore. Those punks HAD to pay for hurting his woman and killing his 'baby'.  
**_They HAD to DIE!_**

He placed Mona Lisa down beside a dumpster out of view and then bolted from their hiding place. His rage blinded his nerves to his injuries as he yanked his sais from his belt and began taking out one gangster after another.

Most were butchered while a few escaped. Still, Raph didn't care. He had to punish them for messing with the two precious things near and dear to him. No one gets away with that. _**No one!**_

The screams of the gangsters being mutilated on the left side of the street got the ten gang members on the right side to come over and check out what was going on.

Six of them turned their flashlights on and aimed them to where they heard a guy being strangled. Bodies littered the ground and then they saw an angry green beast covered in blood glaring back at them.

"What the f-ck?!" cried one gangster as Raph charged at him and slashed with his crimson sais. The guy fell fast, gurgling up blood. The other gangsters began shooting, but the red clad Turtle's fury aided him well in putting them out of commission.

Two gangsters escaped while Raph was busy sending his sais into one punk's chest and scraping outwards over and over. He kept screaming at them that they would pay for hurting his lover and destroying his motorcycle.

There were no more goons left to deal with now. With his anger spent, he no longer could stop reality from hitting him then. Mona Lisa was bleeding to death and he had to get Donnie to patch her up asap!

Raph felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. There was a dart sticking out of it. What the shell?! He yanked it out and tossed it away. He turned to see a super huge man with a blonde braid behind him with some guys in dark outfits. On no! Not Hun!

The tranquilizer was already working and Raph was losing consciousness. No way in Hell would he let Hun get Mona Lisa. Or him. Raph shook his head to clear his sight and ran into the alley.

"After him!" Hun bellowed and Kano's Foot ninja gave chase. They went into the alley to find it empty, but instinctively looked up and caught glimpses of Raph going over the edge of the roof holding someone.

Hun watched the ninjas go after Raph with an evil grin. "That's right. Run, freak. We will still catch you and kill you..."

* * *

When Don came home, Leo was waiting for him and ready to lay it into him. The blue masked terrapin warrior watched his younger brother come in through the door and instantly began to interrogate him.

"Where the shell have you been?" Leo asked testily, his arms crossed in tough older brother fashion.

"I told you I was out on the east side. I don't need to ask for your permission for every little thing I do..." Don said, fed up with being treated like a hatchling.

"YES you do!" Leo snapped back, his anger rising. "What if something happened to you? How would I know? You didn't even have your cel phone on!"

"What's the big deal? So I forgot to turn it back on. I didn't get a chance to charge it before so I kept it off to reserve the battery. I'll turn it on sooner next time! Jeez!" Don shot back, getting angry too.

"Next time _**TELL**_ me where you're going."

"Why are you getting on my case? Nothing bad happened."

"Something **_COULD_** have!"

"But _nothing_ did!"

Leo couldn't believe this. Why was Don talking back so much? He usually obeyed without question. Was he losing respect from him as well?

How did this happen? Leo couldn't have done anything wrong. He didn't recall any mistakes he made and he rarely made any to begin with.

"Leo, you're being over-protective..." Don added, not backing down from Leo's heated glare.

"I **HAVE** to be! Anything could happen to you if I don't!" Leo cried, getting upset. Why wouldn't he accept his protection? He had to push it upon them so nothing bad would happen to them.

With his protection, they would ALWAYS be safe no matter what. He wasn't going to let his 'children' be harmed for any reason. He was treating them like adults, well, Leo thought he was. It was they who were acting like hatchlings!

"I'm perfectly fine without your overbearing 'protection', Leo." Don said, his rebellious expression setting Leo off. "As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sick of it."

The blue clad Turtle's alpha male nature felt threatened. He was going to crush this 'challenging' behavior right out of Don before it could grow like it did in Raph.

"**LOOK! _I'M_** the leader and **_you're_** supposed to listen to me! I _know_ what's best for you! So _stop_ making my job harder and just **OBEY**!" Leo shouted, his temper making him say things he normally wouldn't.

Leo stared Don down and for once in his life, Don glared back. He wasn't going to let Leo herd him around like a helpless baby turtle anymore!

He had to stand up against his older brother's crazed hierarchy. It had its ups and downs, but lately it was getting out of control. Don felt Karai was to blame for Leo's overly aggressive authoritative behavior.

"Why should I?" Don sneered, not backing down. In a sudden 'spell' of ire, the two circled each other as if they were about to tackle each other down and start biting.

"Because you HAVE to. I _command_ it. That's why." Leo sneered back through tightly clenched teeth.

"Did you learn these ways of tyranny from Karai or what?" Don asked testily, setting off a rage bomb inside Leo. He swung his fist out, punch-smacking Don across the face hard.

"Don't you dare insult her!!!" Leo shouted, fuming. "We owe her our lives! She gave us the cure for our hyper mutation problem!"

"I could have found that cure by myself! We didn't need her!" Don shouted back, wiping his bleeding beak. Leo actually hit him! On purpose!

Don couldn't believe it and almost took it to heart. Then he reminded himself that Leo wasn't himself. Karai had Leo under her spell that's all. Once she screws up, Leo will come back to his senses and apologize to Don. So he thought.

"Just like how you found a 'cure' for Master Splinter, right?!" Leo roared, then realized what he said. He widened his eyes in shock at how far he had gone and pinched them shut in shame.

Don squeezed his eyes shut too as he recoiled backwards until he ran into the couch and sat. He covered his face with his hands as he struggled not to lose his composure.

How could LEO say THAT to him? No... No it's Karai's fault. Don couldn't wait to make her PAY for messing up Leo. But how? In what way? Don wished he knew.

"Donnie... I-... D-mn it!" Leo furrowed his brow, feeling rotten. "Don, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Leo wanted to punch himself. Why did he say such a thing? He knew how terrible Don felt about Master Splinter dying before he could create a cure for his cancer. He simply lost control of his temper.

"Don?"

"Where's Mikey?" Don asked simply, his voice tight with sorrow and fury. Leo figured it would be best to get away from this current subject and let him check Mikey. They went to his room.

Don found a strange skinny man sleeping in his baby brother's bed. He made a face as he approached this guy and inspected him by scent.

That wasn't Mikey! His scent was of some weird human that Don had never smelled before. The purple clad Turtle wrinkled his muzzle in aversion and backed up.

"Leo, this isn't Michelangelo..." Don said with disgust. How could he bring a stranger here and let him sleep in Mikey's bed? Karai must be behind this somehow.

"It _is_ him. Look at his eyes." Leo said and shook his baby brother awake. "Wake up, Mikey. Don's here now."

"...Huh? Oh, Don! Donnie!" Mikey cried, getting up quickly to hug his other older brother. Don was taken back to be hugged by a strange human that sounded like Mikey.

Don wasn't convinced yet that this was Mikey until the guy looked up at him. When he displayed those beautiful blue eyes of his, then Don knew it was him. No one else had _those_ eyes. This really was Mikey. Whoa!

"Can you change him back, Don?" Leo asked.

"I have to take samples from him first. Mikey, wait here and I'll be right back." Don said, going to get what he needed to test Mikey with from his lab. After doing so, Don took samples and then went to his lab to analyze them.

Leo was dozing on the couch, waiting for the results. Mikey stayed in his room to rest. Some time later, Don woke up Leo to announce that Mikey's terrapin DNA was nonexistent and that body Mikey was in had only human DNA.

"How did Kano put Mikey's mind into that human body anyway?" Don asked, confused. This better not be magic stuff again, he'd go bonkers if it was. Science couldn't always explain how magic did things.

"Zach said that Mikey looks a lot like his older brother Walt. He kinda does actually. I don't know how Kano did this. Walt's dead, so he didn't do any mind or body switching." Leo explained.

"Shell, this looks more like magic then..." Don said, slowly realizing that he couldn't fix this.

"Meaning...you can't reverse it then?" Leo asked, a sinking doom going through him.

"...No..." Don said painfully, feeling useless.

"What the shell are we going to do now...?" Leo said softly, shaking his head. "He can't stay that way!" Don said nothing as he sadly went back to his lab to clean up.

"We'll just have to find Kano and make him change him back." Leo said after a long while in a determined voice. "_I'll_ **MAKE** him..."

"Leo, we don't know where that psychopath is." Don reminded him, returning.

"We _will_ find him. We HAVE to..." Leo said dangerously.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 23!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Can Leo and Don find Kano so they can force him to change Mikey back to a terrapin or will someone else with a Time Scepter help Mikey regain his green skin instead?**

Meanwhile, tension builds between Leo and Don as the geeky Turtle explores the dark wild side of the city. Leo wonders what he's doing out there and demands that Don explain himself. Which he, of course, refuses to. This really angers our fearless leader.

After being caught in a gang war on the streets, Mona Lisa gets badly injured. Worse yet, Hun is chasing Raph and Mona Lisa with Kano's Foot ninja. Will they be able to escape and return to the Lair safely?

**Mikey has a new problem on his hands with letting Angel down gently, (such a thing is never a easy task). Will he be able to do it and not hurt her feelings?  
Chaplin indirectly sends an emotional wedge between Leo and Karai and their relationship is strained to the breaking point!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	23. Renet Helps Mikey Heal & Raph on the Run

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.23

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery: With Shredder's demented son Kano on the loose, Karai is forced to accept the Turtles her allies in the upcoming war. She wants to be the only leader of the Foot Clan and Kano has plans to get rid of her. She will not go down without a bloody fight and will need to add the terrapins warriors to her now shrinking Foot clan army. She presents an offer that Leonardo can not refuse.  
**Cast:** April O'Neil, Casey Jones, May Jones, and the Turtles; Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello.  
This is my first TMNT fic and since I've seen the newer TMNT movie now, this fic is based off the live action Turtles movies and the newer TMNT CGI movie & some of the 2K3 series, yet I like having Splinter as formerly being the human Hamato Yoshi as in the 80's cartoon (not a pet rat as in the movies). **Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. Enjoy!  
**For a while, the characters Slash the Turtle, Rahzar and Tokka will be featured within the story.**  
**Note:** There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.  
Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

While Mikey was dreaming, he was a Turtle and he thought he was back to normal somehow, thanks to Donnie. Happy to be himself again, he ran across the beach that was in his dream.

He turned to go into the water and dove under the waves. He tried to swim like he knew how, but his body wouldn't comply. He was sinking fast and he couldn't float no matter what.

Drowning, he let out a panicked cry for help and tumbled out of his bed. Realizing it was only a dream, he picked himself off the floor and climbed back into bed. He saw that he wasn't back to his terrapin self and sighed tiredly.

He may have had a fun time at the arcade with Angel while being human, but he wanted to be what he really was. A Turtle. He wanted his terrapin strength and sharp eye vision back.

Human senses were so ridiculously dull, it wasn't even funny. Mikey couldn't even smell if his brothers were still in the Lair or not. His hearing as a human was a joke, there was no worth to it. He was practically deaf!

Wishing for a miracle of some kind, Mikey sat on his bed as his thoughts went to Kameko and how she was butchered by Kano. Then Angel's face appeared, her endearing expressions warm and welcoming.

Mikey knew if he didn't know Kameko, he'd probably return Angel's feelings back to her. So, he felt bad for not accepting the endearment she was offering him. He still loved Kameko and currently he felt like he couldn't ever love another.

He wished he didn't have to go through the hardship of telling her that he wasn't interested. He had been dumped by girls he really cared about.

That crushed emotion one feels after being dumped was something Mikey didn't want to give to anyone. But he was stuck telling her. He just wasn't up for starting a new relationship with any girl right now.

He slid back down into a laying position and dozed off again. This time he was in a forest that reminded him of where Mitsu lived. He was a human this time as he wandered around through the dense woods.

"There you are!"

Mikey turned around to see a rare face. Dressed in her blue time outfit, Renet stood without her cap. She ran up to Mikey and bent over as she caught her breath. Her long blonde hair cascaded down over her shoulders as she panted like a dog.

"Renet??" Mikey asked, surprised to see her in what he thought was another dream.

"I've been waiting for you to start dream-walking like a human for some time now." she said, not making much sense to him.

"Huh? Why?" Mikey asked, confused.

"You're a human in this dreamscape. Finally!" Renet blew some hair out of her face. "Now I can ask you to do me a little favor to help me pass my ultimate test."

"I can't help much being a weak human." Mikey pointed out, knowing the kind of help Renet usually needed.

"That's why I'm here! Well, sort of." Renet whipped out the Time Scepter and waved it around. It glowed blue and sparkled with its magic right away.

"See, I'm getting really good with this thing." she said proudly and cast its shining hue over Mikey. After a few moments, Mikey grew thicker and wider. His pale skinny frail human form disappeared, leaving behind a tough and rough terrapin exterior.

"How'd you do that?!" Mikey cried, touching his green face happily. Renet giggled with glee as she danced about.

"Hooray! Like this means I totally can do the test for real afterall!" she cried, getting excited. If she aced this test, then she could take over Lord Simultaneous' position so he could retire.

"Ok, like, now listen. For me to begin this ultimate test thingie, I need you to be yourself again. I saw how you lost Kameko and everything..." Renet said quietly. Mikey closed his eyes sadly.

"But you like totally can see her again and get to say goodbye and junk. Here, take the Time Scepter and find closure." she said, holding it out. Mikey's eyes flew open.

He instantly grabbed the scepter, ready to warn Kameko to never come to Kano's fortress that ill-fated day. But Renet seemed to read his mind and didn't let go of the wand.

"If you try to change history, then I will totally fail the test, Michelangelo! So, like, do NOT change it! Kameko's fate is that she dies that day and if you make it where she doesn't, then someone else will die to take her place. Someone who isn't supposed to die! Like your brothers!" Renet shouted, hoping she could convince Mikey not to alter the past.

If she couldn't, then she wouldn't be able to start this ultimate test until she did convince him. Mikey had been glaring at her angrily while tugging at the scepter as she spoke.

He stopped when she said one of his brothers would die instead if Kameko lived. He almost didn't care, but then he did. He did love his brothers, yet he thought he loved Kameko more than them. He couldn't decide what to do.

"I totally need all four of you to be alive so I can pass my test. Ok? If I fail, then your friend Cody will die an early horrible death and he's not supposed to die that soon! Especially not killed _THAT_ way too." Renet shuddered as she had witnessed Cody being eaten and torn apart alive at the claws of the Dark Turtle clones.

Cody's evil uncle Darius had control collars on the Dark clones making them into mindless savages, killing anyone who got in his way of taking over the world. Cody was one of those people his uncle saw as a menace and he had to put out of his misery.

Cody attempted to get through to Dark Leo to save his life. But he failed as the collars were too powerful and the clones had been starved for days. The Dark clones ripped Cody into pieces and they feasted upon the poor man.

The vicious terrapin monstrosities butchered anyone whom Darius found threatening to his plans. April and Casey's legacy was destroyed and the Ninja Turtles' legend was long forgotten.

Renet wondered if this horrible future could be avoided, so she asked Lord Simultaneous and he said yes. That's where her ultimate test came from.

If she could get the original Turtles' spirits to merge or inhabit the Dark clones, then they would be able to stop Darius from using them like that. Cody was the key to defeating his uncle. But if he was gone, then Darius Dun would rule forever.

Darius discovered a way to use the Dark clones' terrapin powers of longevity to obtain a ungodly form of immortality. But if the clones were not under his complete rule, then Darius would be mortal again. And Cody would be able to take him down.

The clones couldn't destroy Darius since he cursed them from being able to. But Cody was a different matter. He didn't bother cursing Cody since he was confident that the clones would destroy him no problem.

Renet really needed to change all this. She loved those cute little green guys who were now much bigger. She would meet them after death where their spirits would be enjoying a Turtle Heaven. She would unite them into the clones' bodies in order to save the future.

She had yet to see them at this place since Lord Simultaneous warned her not to peek ahead of time. There would be only one time right for her to see and fetch them. She was not to visit ever again either, even if she was the new Lord of Time.

The Turtle Heaven realm was only meant for terrapins and no other beings could venture there, at least not for long. It was dangerous enough that Renet needed to go once. The Spirit of the Turtle reigned in that heaven.

It needed to be undefiled and free of anything non-turtle. The Spirit of the Turtle was almost considered Time itself. That was why Renet had to pass this test. Not just for herself, but to preserve Time's 'life force'.

The Ninja Turtles were part human and humans were not allowed in the Spirit of the Turtle realm. Renet had to go in there and move the Turtles' spirits to new bodies as they would always be needed in the world of the living.

Their spirits would be forced to return to the living world until the end of time, if there ever was one. So their legend would continue forever and Darius' horrible rule would never begin.

But first, she had to get their spirits prepared and true to themselves. Mikey wasn't himself at all and she had to fix that. To do that, he needed to have some kind of closure with Kameko.

If his heart was healed, then he would return to being himself again. He wasn't allowed to alter history though, not one bit. She had to make sure he understood this.

"Cody's important to the timeline just as you and your brothers are! Please, Michelangelo! I really need you to cooperate here! Please! The future, TIME itself depends on it!" she cried, her voice stressing how important this was.

Mikey squeezed his eyes shut hard as he trembled with emotion. He had to choose. Here was a chance to have Kameko back in his life again, alive and well. But he couldn't take it.

Sighing forlornly, he bowed his head. "I won't alter the past." he said softly. To just see and touch Kameko again was better than nothing at all.

"Come back when you find your true self." Renet said seriously and let go of the staff. Mikey didn't need to ask her how to work it, his heart took control and sent him where he wanted...needed to be.

He was on that secret island of Kameko's in mere moments. Mikey was near the beach area and saw Kameko standing there alone. She was watching the waves during the sunset. Serenity surrounded her like an aura of supreme splendor.

Mikey was enthralled by her beautiful brilliance all over again. He longed for her so much, he ached in all ways possible. He hid the scepter in the underbrush quickly. With his heart pounding in his ears, he briskly approached her.

She turned since she sensed someone was there and her face lit up when she saw him. "Michelangelo!" she said, smiling. Before she could ever take a step to him, he was there, grabbing her up into his arms.

He said nothing as he held her close and tight to his plastron. He buried his muzzle into her soft raven locks and inhaled deeply.

Then he kissed her passionately. He was so 'thirsty' for her, his soul felt dry and dead inside. He 'drank' as much as he could, slowly replenishing his mournful soul.

"Kameko, I love you so much..." Mikey said softly after the long desperate kiss. She laughed, tapping his beak with her two fingers on her right hand. It was a cute gesture of affection that only she did for him.

"Mikey, why are you being so weird? You act like you haven't seen me in a long time. We talked less than ten minutes ago when you left to do something. You said you'd be right back to watch the waves with me." she said, nuzzling under his chin.

"One second without you feels like an eternity to me..." Mikey whispered sadly.

She laughed again and gave him a kiss of her own. She nibbled on his lower lip then ran her tongue on the inside of his beak, sucking on the tip.

She looked into his eyes and saw something she never saw before. Depression. Intense sadness. He was dispirited and he looked awful from it. Like he was dying from sorrow.

Puzzled, she lightly whacked his muzzle to make him stop with some positive cheer. He must be sad over the fight he had with Leo earlier about a disagreement they had on a show about spirituality.

Mikey had made an inappropriate joke about meditating and how it was a time waster or an excuse to be lazy. He was poking fun at himself, but Leo thought he meant it for him and verbally attacked him viciously.

Leo said things he shouldn't have and Raph told him to shut up for once in his life. That made Leo blow up more and he lectured nonstop for three hours continuously.

Raph told his orange clad brother thanks a heap for starting Leo up and punched him in the gut. Mikey vomited from the violent hit and Don testily told Raph not to hurt Mikey like that.

That set in motion for Raph's annoyance to transform into full blown rage. Taking Don's words (which sounded a lot like the scolding he got from Leo) as a challenging threat, Raph began to vent his anger on poor Don, beating the turtle wax out of him.

To Raph's misfortune, Leo heard everything a hallway's distance away. Instantly, he got on Raph's case for the abuse and on it went. Everyone was in a bad mood after all that.

Mikey felt bad for causing so much trouble among his brothers and was upset from it. Kameko didn't think he'd get this upset though and had to snap him out of it. She had no idea that wasn't why Mikey was so sad at all.

"I've never seen you so weird and unhappy before. I don't want you being like that. It really isn't you. Where's my Michelangelo under all that doom and gloom? Come on, cheer up!"

Her sensible words seemed to break the depression inside him. She didn't like this version of him so it made sense to do away with it. His mourning of her death had changed him into someone he wasn't.

He didn't want her to be indirectly responsible for making something so negative happen. Kameko was the meaning of happiness, not negativity. He wasn't going to stain her memory any longer by being trapped in this ungodly depression.

She healed him. That's what she did. Mikey's eyes were opened for the first time in weeks that he didn't need to be a slave to depression any more. He was free. She set him free and he could move on and be happy again. She would want him to.

Man! It felt so good to have her in his arms again. The beautiful sight of her entranced him instantly while the sweet scent of her drew him in closer. As he became one with her, he felt her soothing love pulsating into him.

It was over much too soon. He gazed at her gorgeous naked form laying upon the sand beneath him. She pulled him down upon her and they were joined as one again.

With most of his energy spent, Mikey took a rest on the sand beside her. The nearby waves washed over him, cooling the passionate heat burning in his green flesh.

Mikey stroked her lovingly, hungry for more. She touched his face, her eyes filled with deep love for him. He hadn't felt this content and happy for a long while. It was beyond wonderful.

But he knew he couldn't stay there all night. He had to leave. Without her. Forever.

Still, it would be alright. He didn't need to be sad or depressed anymore. He finally realized that she would always be with him regardless in spirit. He was himself once more.

They made love one last time with the bubbly waves rushing up around them. Mikey never experienced such rich enjoyment such as this in a long while.

Kameko slowly began to fall asleep then and Mikey redressed her. He picked up his 'Sleeping Beauty' and stealthily took her back to her room at the mansion. He kissed her one more time before touching her face affectionately.

"Thank you, Kameko. For everything. I will never forget you. And...I'll always love you." Mikey whispered. He turned to leave and went down the hallway.

He nearly was seen by Leo and Don as he left, but thankfully they walked past him as he clung to the ceiling. He went back outside to the beach and found the Time Scepter.

Now Mikey understood why back then he couldn't find Kameko that day at the beach and why she was so confused later on to be back in her room. He took her there himself, but his past self never knew that.

Even with his heart healed, he still wished he could have warned Kameko not to go to Kano's fortress, but he couldn't. He realized that he needed to remain loyal to his brothers and keep their circle tight. They were like a chain never to be broken.

They needed him. He couldn't be selfish and leave them. Their brotherhood was everlasting. It needed to be eternal for truth and justice. They had to stay a team.

Kameko gave him the healing he needed. He felt so much better now that he got that closure. He got to say 'goodbye' to Kameko in a way and enjoyed her one last time.

Now he didn't feel as if she had been ripped away from him suddenly. He was one with her and she would always be with him in spirit. She told him she wanted him to be himself and he was going to do just that.

He held the Time Scepter up and in a flash of blue light, he was back to where Renet was waiting for him. He handed her the scepter and she gave him a big hug.

"Thanks, Michelangelo. I knew you would do the right thing and not alter the past." Renet said, smiling.

"Yeah." Mikey replied, feeling mentally and physically exhausted then. But he did feel happy and content inside again, just like his old joyful self. Renet giggled and tapped his nose sweetly.

"Just be ready for the future. It's gonna go right this time around." she said, dancing about like a happy loon. She was so going to ace this test!

"Oh yeah!" Renet cried, snapping her fingers. "I, like, almost forgot. Wake up!" she shouted, jolting Mikey from his 'dream'.

He was in his bed at the Lair. Did he dream all that up or something? He went to scratch his head and felt bald scalp instead of hair. He withdrew his hand in shock and stared at his green hand.

"No way..." he breathed, then leapt from bed screaming in joy. "**Waaah-HOOO!!! Yeaaah!!**"

There was stumbling downstairs and a pounding of feet on the steps. Then his bedroom door flew open. Leo rushed in, followed by Don.

"Michelangelo, what's the matter?!" Leo cried, worried.

"Are you..." Don started to say, but slowed his last word down as he saw that Mikey was a Turtle again. "...ok...?"

"Look at me, bros! I'm normal again! Yippeee! Oh, thank you Renet!!! Thank you!!!" Mikey screamed on the top of his lungs. He jumped more, spinning completely around over and over.

"Renet?" Leo and Don repeated, confused.

"When was she here, Mikey?" Leo asked.

Mikey did a flip before jumping down from his springy bed and grasped both his older brothers by their shoulders. He couldn't wait to tell them what just happened. Well, he'd leave out the best parts with Kameko since those were only his to savor.

* * *

Raph was beginning to wish he never tore up his cel phone back in the Lair. He sure could use it right about now. With those stupid Foot ninja following him, he couldn't go home for obvious reasons.

The only place he could leave Mona Lisa at was Mikey's friend's clinic, Dr. Jane Goodfellow. It was beginning to get light out and he didn't want to be seen. And especially not covered in blood, the dumb humans would have a fit.

Luck was on his side as he saw the doctor herself heading to the clinic. He hurried up behind her and called out to the good veterinarian. She was shocked at the massive amount of blood on both of them. She took her white coat off and draped it over them.

She let Raph in as he carried Mona Lisa to a certain room. "_What_ happened to you two?" Jane asked, unable to get over how badly injured they were.

"We were both shot by feuding gangs." Raph explained quickly. "I've got to go. There's these assassins after me. I don't want them killing Mona Lisa!"

"Wait, your shoulder! Let me treat it first!" Jane cried, but Raph was already gone. "I certainly hope he doesn't get an infection." she said to herself and went to work on saving Mona Lisa's life.

Raph let himself be seen by Kano's ninjas and Hun. He led them away from the clinic as far away as he could until he stopped at a deserted basketball court.

With his sais gripped tightly in each hand, Raph stood his ground and waited for those jokers to catch up. He took those few moments to rest. The tranquilizer was making things difficult for him and he was growing more tired by the minute.

Hun actually arrived first and the ninjas came a several seconds later. "You're getting slow. Shape up or I'll report you to Kano!" he told them and went back to business with the exhausted reptile.

"Make things easier for yourself, freak, and just drop over. I promise Kano will keep you well entertained in his torture chamber." Hun said, snickering.

"When we catch all of your freak family, nothing will stop the REAL Shredder from owning this city." Hun spat, then grinned. "And Karai? She'll be a distant memory."

"I don't care what happens to that b-tch! I won't let you whackbags take me down! Ever!" Raph snarled, baring his teeth.

"Hmph! We'll see about that..." Hun chuckled under his breath, grinning before scrunching his face up.

"Get that freak!" Hun ordered, pointing. The ninjas flew into action. Raph stepped forward and charged at Hun hard, kicking down the foolish ninjas who tried to stop him.

He slashed with his sais at the behemoth, roaring out his frustrations. Hun blocked the terrapin's attacks with his shielded forearms. Kano had given his elite warriors shields for obvious reasons.

Hun swung out with his right fist and slammed Raph down. The Turtle rolled away as Hun went to crush him with his steel covered boot.

Quick as lightning, Raph sank his teeth into Hun's beefy right leg and yanked viciously, taking a large chunk away. The large man screamed in agony as he fell to his left knee and held the large wound.

"**D-MN YOU!**" Hun bellowed, grabbing onto the nearby fence with one hand and ripping a part of it from its support poles in the ground.

He chucked a large portion of the chain link fence at Raph and the terrapin was scraped in the shoulder where his bullet wound was. Raph grasped his shoulder in severe pain, gritting his teeth.

"Pump him full of lead!" Hun shouted then as he pulled out his own laser pistol. Raph raced to a nearby building that had a handy fire escape on it. He scaled the metal construction quickly.

"He's getting away, you idiots! Blow his f-cking head off! **HURRY UP!!!**" Hun shrieked, unable to chase after Raph since the terrapin had ripped a good portion of his calf out.

Kano's ninjas made haste after Raph. They found him two rooftops away already, which was actually pretty poor for Raph. He normally would have been long gone by then, but he was dealing with the tranquilizer crud in his veins and blood loss, so it was slowing him down.

The ninjas eventually caught up with him and cornered the weary Turtle near some air conditioning units. Raph expressed his hostility, shouting out an impressive terrapin roar at them. Think of it as an elephant growl mixed with the hollow sounds of a jug being blown into.

His teeth were smeared with Hun's blood which brought much worry to one of the five ninjas. What if he tried to bite them too? He could have rabies or some other horrible disease.

The ninja expressed his concerns to the others and was immediately scoffed at. Why was he afraid of a wounded animal anyway? Labeled instantly as a coward, his colleagues shoved him forward to fight Raph.

The nervous ninja cautiously took a step closer, swallowing hard with his fists up. Suddenly he was bombarded with a cloud of smoke by a now desperate-to-flee Raph.

He wished he didn't need to use the only smoke pellet he had left, but he had no choice. The ninjas coughed while Raph escaped down the opposite side of the building and noticed a manhole cover half hidden by a dumpster sitting over top of it.

By the time the smoke cleared, Raph was safely in the sewers at last. He hoped those idiots out there wouldn't notice the manhole cover like he did, at least not until he was deeper into the sewer system.

Even if they came down here, they would get lost and never be able to find him anyway. Raph pushed himself fast and hard back to the Lair.

He had to get home before he really did collapse and pass out. He was already blacking out for split-seconds even now. But after he rounded a corner and went into the third pipe to the left, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees.

Breathing hard, he muttered incoherently. "No... I can't... I can't drop here... Got...got to...get back... Gotta... Get... Back...to the Lair... Only have to... Have to go through this pipe and... And... Uhhh...!"

'Master Splinter...please... Father, help me!' Raph collapsed forward onto his left side and was still.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 24!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Is Raph doomed or will he be saved in time? Now that Mikey's heart has been healed, will he reconsider Angel? Is he ready to move on or does he need more time?**

Don remains secretive about where he goes at night and Leo is suspicious, yet he does nothing at first since he's busy hunting Kano down with Karai.  
Does Don's boss Cleo have any feelings for him or is she simply using him for financial gain?

Chaplin indirectly sends an emotional wedge between Leo and Karai and their relationship is strained to the breaking point!

LATER: Rose returns to beg for Don's protection from their 'brainwashed-by-Bishop' son Assassin. Is she the same cruel insensitive person from before or the person Don thought she was when they fell in love?

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	24. A lot of Stuff Happening Here

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.24

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

With Mikey back to his terrapin self, Leo had one less problem to deal with. He told his two brothers that they needed to go back to Karai's Foot headquarters and help her end this war with Kano.

But Don refused so viciously that Leo was taken aback by his loud outburst. He explained to him once more how important it was to help Karai win this war, but Don was dead set against doing anything for Karai.

"Leo, I _told_ you, I'm **_NOT_** going back! I'm _not_ working for _nor_ living with that woman ever again! I _don't_ want **_anything_** to do with her, Leo!" Don shouted, desperate to escape Karai's ironfisted dictatorship.

If he was stuck at the Foot headquarters, then he wouldn't be able to go to the hu-animal night club secretly. Leo would definitely notice him leaving every night at a certain time.

Plus, the blue clad Turtle did say something about how Karai didn't even want him or Mikey going back home too. She was trying to control them even worse than dogs and he wasn't going to stand for it!

"Don, I made an oath that you would help her too. She helped us and now we have to help her." Leo said tiredly, pinching between his eyes with his fingers. He felt a strong headache coming on...

"I don't '_have to_' anything, Leo! Karai is going to slap those control collars on us any day now! I just know it!" Don said heatedly.

'You don't know what it's like to have one of those accursed contraptions around your throat! But I do!' Don thought to himself, not revealing to Leo what really happened to him at Area 51 with Bishop.

"Karai wouldn't do that. She wants us to provide assistance to her...**_without_** force. She respects our free-will and sees us as equals..." Leo explained, then worried about something.

What if Don was thinking about betraying Karai and essentially ruining the trust she had in them? Worse yet, what if Karai stopped trusting Leo?

That would mess up their already strained relationship and then she may reconsider Chaplin as her lover... Leo grit his teeth. No way would he allow his little brother do something like this to him or Karai!

"_Remember_, we're all allies now, **_not_** enemies! **_Don't_** do _anything_ to ruin that!" Leo added suddenly in an overly accusing tone.

"Things have BEEN ruined ever since you started to trust that insane Jezebel! Can't you remember how she wanted to kill us before?? Jeez, Leo! She's tricking you! And USING all of us too!" Don yelled, unable to stand how Leo was dismissing the fact of how Karai was their sworn enemy in the past.

Leo kept staring at him in such a way that Don believed his older brother would never heed his warnings about Karai. He frowned back at him, disgusted by his ignorance of the dangers Karai posed to them.

"She may have you fooled, but she hasn't deceived me. I'm not going to be her slave..." Don scowled and turned to leave.

Usually he didn't get this mad over anything, but Karai was able to surface a negativity buried deep within him. Leo's ignorance to Karai's evil ways brought the worst out of Don, causing that negativity to grow quickly.

"We are not her slaves... Hey! Where are you going?" Leo asked, irritably. Don paused to turn his head and give his older brother an annoyed glare. Then he continued on silently.

"Don? Don! Get back here and answer me! **NOW!...DONATELLO!!!**" Leo shouted, going after him into the sewer tunnels. Mikey was resting in his room as Leo instructed him to do. At least Mikey was obeying once more.

Once Leo got Don back to normal, then Raph would be the only one left to really worry about again. Before the blue clad Turtle could think of anything else, he heard Don screaming his name in great urgency.

"**LEOOOO!!! LEO!!! LEO, COME HERE QUICKLY!!!**"

"What is it?!" Leo cried, sprinting over to where Don was shakily pulling something heavy from the sludge at the bottom of the pipe. Then he recognized Raph's body shape and bowed head, covered in dried blood.

Without a word, Leo helped Don bring Raph into the Lair. Immediately, Don began to treat Raph's injuries while Leo cleaned him up. Don soon realized that Raph would need a blood transfusion or he would die...

"My blood type is compatible with his, so I'll give him what he needs." Don said, getting everything ready for the blood transfusion. Leo nodded and helped him prepare a place for Don to give his blood to their brother.

After that, Raph's condition seemed to be somewhat stabilized and the two brothers waited for him to wake up. Don didn't dare leave Raph to go to work and believed Cleo would understand.

It wasn't until the next night Raph came to and had a chance to tell them what happened. Once he realized that it was the next day, he immediately tried to get up so he could fetch Mona Lisa.

He didn't trust a human to care for her, especially not this long. Raph's trust for humans in general went out the window ever since April accused him of defiling her daughter May.

Though with Lotus, that was an entirely different matter. She earned his trust and as fate would have it, she was killed off. Good ones were never allowed to live long. It sure seemed like it, at least. He just hoped this wasn't so for Mona Lisa...

"Whoa, you're _not_ going anywhere, Raph." Leo said, pushing him back down on the couch. Raph struggled against him, but only succeeded in intensifying the aches and pains in his body.

"I _can't_ leave her there! Hun might find her!" Raph croaked in a scratchy sore voice. "She might be in trouble! I've gotta go get her!"

"**_I'LL_** go get her." Don offered. "If she can't be moved, I can find ways to move her without harming her."

Leo sighed as he knew Don would be the best one to go. He had the medical know-how afterall.

"Alright. You can go get her, Don. But come right back no matter what. And turn your cel phone ON this time." Leo reminded him, adding to Don's resentment of being treated like a kid by his older brother.

"Leo, I'm not a hatchling, alright? I can take care of myself." Don said, giving him a disgusted glare. Leo stared back, narrowing his eyes. Exasperatedly, the purple clad terrapin yanked his cel phone out and turned it on.

"Ok, ok! Look, see? It's on now. Happy?" Don scowled, showing him. Now that Raph was awake, it would be alright to go back to work again. He sure hoped Leo wouldn't try to interfere somehow.

He would bring Mona Lisa back if it was too dangerous to let Dr. Goodfellow continue caring for her. He was going to make sure things were under control so Raph could rest easy and not worry.

"Wow. Donnie's got an attitude." Raph commented, fairly surprised. So Don wasn't Leo's pet afterall. Hmph, that was news to Raph.

"Yes, he does. I don't know where it's coming from, but I suggest he take it back and shape up. I'm not going to tolerate it anymore." Leo said in a low 'don't-mess-with-me' type of voice.

"Once you stop renting us out as slaves for Karai, then I will 'shape up'." Don snapped back and left in a disgusted huff. Leo watched him go with a tired sigh and shook his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Leo asked, wishing he knew how to 'correct' Don. This new person just wasn't him. Not at all.

"Well, maybe if you'd stop ordering us around, you'd get some place, Leo." Raph said, pleased to be voicing his two cents on this touchy subject.

Usually whenever Raph tried to speak his mind on how Leo did things, his older brother always shut him out. He didn't take to heart anything he had to say, believing he was the only one who was right. That always helped start an argument between them.

"I don't order anyone around..." Leo replied, his voice low and weary. Deep inside, he worried if that was true, but dismissed it quickly.

He wasn't doing that, was he? No, he couldn't be. He was doing the best he could and he wasn't failing anywhere in his duties as a good leader. They _needed_ firm and strict leadership from him otherwise they would be lost and helpless.

"Yes you do!" Raph cried, a rush of anger rising in him. Here we go, Leo's not listening again. Raph should have known he couldn't get through that thick skull of his. But he would try as he always did when they 'discussed' their problems.

"You act like you have- no, NEED to take care of us like little babies, but I've got a news flash for ya! We're all better off if you'd just keep your beak out of our business! You ain't Splinter and you'll **_never_** be Splinter! **_Got it?!_**" Raph shouted, sitting up and sending shooting pain down his side.

He sank down and held his left side, then glared at Leo. His older brother wasn't looking at him and said nothing back. He simply stood up and left the living room without replying.

"Ahh, who needs ya?" Raph muttered under his breath as he tried hard to find a comfortable position. "Why don'tcha go to your hussy Karai and just stay with her? You don't really care about us... You only care about her."

Leo was going up the stairs as he heard Raph muttering those hurtful things. He DID care about them! If he didn't, he would have left them a long time ago. He had a promise to keep to Splinter AND to Karai. He had to keep his word at any cost.

His honor was at stake on those promises! He had no choice, but to maintain them. If his family couldn't understand that, then fine! They were the ones who were wrong. Not him.

* * *

Don was able to retrieve Mona Lisa from Goodfellow and bring her to the Lair safely. Between his dancing job and butting heads with Leo occasionally, Don cared for Raph and Mona Lisa daily.

The first week of healing consisted of Don being a nurse and a dancer. He had no time left for tinkering, but at least he had some time to spend with Cleo after work once in a while.

Thanks to Don, Raph and Mona Lisa were going to survive. During that week, Leo kept going back to Karai off and on. When the second week came, he was gone from the Lair almost all the time.

Mikey didn't prefer to stay at Lair since Raph was there and stayed with Leo at Karai's Foot Headquarters. He couldn't say he forgave Raph, not yet. He needed more time for that.

For a few days, he didn't know that Angel was looking for him until he overheard one of Karai's best spies talking about a snooping Purple Dragon.

Not wanting Karai's minions to attack Angel, Mikey went out to look for her. With permission from Leo first of course. He told him he wanted to go on rooftop patrol and Leo bought that.

First he searched near a hideout that the Purple Dragons were using lately and promptly heard some loud yelling. Getting in closer, Mikey saw Angel arguing with a low rank general.

He was accusing her of going to Karai's Foot clan not to spy, but to join. She venomously denied the allegation and gave him the finger. He tried to punish her for the rude gesture, but she slipped out of his grasp and ran out of sight.

The general didn't bother to chase her and went back to his regular duties. He had to get a shipment of stolen goods sent out immediately, not waste time proving if a low rank member was betraying them. What could she do anyway?

Still, he would keep an eye out on her and report her as soon as he saw proof of her changing sides. Mikey followed Angel through the shadows and made sure no one was trailing her before he showed himself to her in a park.

"What are you doing hanging around Karai's fortress for? Do you want to get killed?" Mikey asked seconds after jumping in front of her. She gasped and widened her eyes.

"Mike! You're a- a...!" Angel was shocked. How did he change back? When?

"I saw how that general dude was giving you trouble. Even if Karai doesn't butcher you, the Purple Dragons will! Is that what you want?"

"I wanted to see you, Mike. You didn't come to that party the other night, so I got worried that something happened. I guess something did since you're back to..uh, normal." Angel felt gypped. She didn't even get to kiss him when he was human and that was what she had been wishing to do the moment she felt for him.

"You don't have to say that like it's a bad thing, Angel. Just stop coming to Foot skyscraper. I don't want you to get killed." Mikey began to leave and headed for the trees.

"Wait!" Angel went after him and grabbed his arm. "I won't stop coming to the skyscraper. I can't! I want to be with you, Mike..." Her voice hinted a great deal of fondness that felt strange to Mikey.

Should he still tell her he wasn't interested or give her a chance? He did care about her, but not in the same way he had cared for Kameko. Was he even ready to take on a new relationship?

Angel paused as she barely could believe she was able to say all that out loud. Man, she sounded so corny! His unreadable expression made her think of the worst.

'Ah, man! He doesn't like me. Probably thinks I'm whacked...' she thought. Feeling silly, she left go of his arm and avoided his eyes as she sighed.

"I know, I know. You don't feel for me. I can take a hint..." Angel wished she could disappear, sink into a hole and never be found again.

"Just give me some time."

She wondered if she even heard him right. Did this mean..? She looked up at him, confused, but hopeful.

"Huh?"

"If you promise to stay away from Karai's skyscraper, I'll come visit you when I can. Then we'll see what happens... Ok?"

Angel smiled and nodded. He needed some time to warm up to her. She could live with that. He held up his hand for her to give him a high-five, or in his case, a high-three.

"Ok, it's a deal." Angel agreed, then pulled out some money she had on her. "This twenty says it's pizza time. Whattaya say?"

"I say you know how to treat a mutant Turtle right." Mikey replied, smiling. "Oh, look! It's Hun!"

"Where?!" Angel asked, not wanting her so-called 'boss' seeing her with the enemy. "Don't you see him? His head is on backwards! HA HA!" Mikey snatched her twenty and danced away with it.

"The pizzas are ALL mine!" he cried, laughing. Angel made a face. He tricked her! Boy, was he ever going to get it! She chased after him and tackled his legs.

They fell together and she scrambled to get her money back. Mikey held it to his plastron and giggled up a storm as she tried fruitlessly to get it.

"Gimme that back! Mike! You barf-bag, give it!"

"Gimme gimme never gets! HEE HEE!" Mikey had to give it up when she discovered how ticklish he was. Angel jumped away with her 'prize' and held it out in a taunting motion.

"HA!" she cried, then screamed when Mikey grabbed her and licked the side of her face. He got her ear and hair as well, leaving a gooey dripping trail of saliva. She dropped the bill to frantically wipe it off.

"You jerk! D-mmit, there's spit in my ear!" Angel cried, pulling her short sleeve up a bit to her ear.

"Hey, if you want me, then you gotta take all of me. I'm talking about everything from spit, puke, farts, and the disgusting noises I make for fun to annoy everyone. Are you sure you still want me?" Mikey teased, poking fun at her as he waved the fallen bill at her.

"If there's anyone who can stand you, it's me!" Angel challenged, then went to snatch the money out of his hand. This time he let her and grinned. He was glad he decided to give her a chance.

* * *

After two weeks since his encounter with that street gang, Raph was at peak health and exercising in the training room almost nonstop.

He planned to give some real payback to Hun and his goons for hunting him down when poor Mona Lisa was injured like that. She could have died if he didn't get her to Goodfellow in time.

Hun was a big problem that needed to be brought down once and for all. Still, even if Hun was out of the way, Khan probably would take his place.

It seemed never-ending with these crime lords and whackbags. One goes away, another takes his place the very next day. Raph and Don were getting along quite well until the red clad Turtle noticed a few things that bothered him greatly.

Don seemed to be hanging around Mona Lisa a lot longer than he needed to. How long does it take to change her bandages anyway? Surely not an hour and a half!

As the weeks turned into months, he heard them talking and laughing together as if they were the best of friends, or maybe something more. All of that made Raph feel pretty jealous and left out.

Whenever he entered the room, they would stop talking suddenly and Don would leave without saying anything to Raph. He became suspicious instantly.

Though he trusted Mona Lisa not to betray him, he couldn't be sure of Donnie. He was just as bad as Mikey with chasing women. Once he got comfortable around a girl, he usually became a big flirt with charm that sprayed out like a broken fire hydrant.

Raph feared Mona Lisa might fall for his younger brother. It wasn't like he was married to Mona Lisa, so she was fair game still. Afterall, she did say Don was a sexy dancer when he accidentally got drunk at that bar near Area 51.

When a week went by, things seemed to 'die down' between Don and Mona Lisa. Raph felt a bit at ease, so he let his guard down and stopped trying to spy on them.

Best of all, Leo was gone most of the time. He was spending all his time with Karai, being the good little slave that he was while Mikey helped him. Raph didn't hold anything against Mikey for helping Karai since he wasn't actually helping her.

He still wanted revenge on Kano, even though he did find closure with Kameko. Kano shouldn't be allowed to get away with destroying people's lives and Mikey was going to avenge Kameko no matter what.

Plus, Raph was pretty sure Mikey hadn't forgiven him still. He didn't mind giving him more time to come around. He may even forget about the whole thing at some point.

Raph was so glad that Leo wasn't around at the Lair anymore. No, that's an understatement. It was unbelievably pleasant, sheer bliss. Heaven was more like it. No more nagging lecturing Leo.

What Leo's siblings didn't know was that he was 'teaching' them a lesson. He was purposely staying out of their lives currently to prove to them how much they NEEDED his protection as soon as something bad happened.

This time he would LET bad things happen since they wouldn't learn any other way. He hated to do it, but if this was the only way to get them to open their eyes, then so be it.

Leo was able to rekindle his relationship with Karai these past two months. So far, Leo didn't see Don trying to betray Karai and he was in good mood one night as he sat in deep meditation with his lover in her private quarters.

As their spirits made love, their energies were intertwined together. It gave them both a soothing sense of tranquility, easing away the stress of the fruitless day of hunting for Kano.

How could a madman hide from them so long? It didn't make any sense! The Purple Dragons were even becoming scarce. Kano must have put them into hiding. It was difficult to hunt down someone without leads.

Suddenly, the doors of Karai's chamber opened and a girl rushed in. Jolting the lovers from their passionate astral unity, they looked to the tall skinny ninja messenger, Sala.

Karai was angry for the interruption and scolded her messenger. "Sala! How dare you come in here without permission?!" she barked, pointing a finger at her.

"I'm sorry, my lady! But I have urgent news!" Sala cried, bowing so low to the ground that her forehead touched the polished wooden floor.

"Speak it quickly before I really lose my temper..." Karai said dangerously, frowning. She had been really enjoying herself with Leonardo moments before.

Their new meditation was a relieving activity that gave them complete privacy. The month before, some of her minions unfortunately overheard the fervent passion she shared with Leonardo whenever they became one physically.

She lost an alarming number of soldiers over that. Her men were not exactly in agreement to her plans of having the Turtles as their allies to begin with.

Once they found out she was having making love with the terrapin leader, many left in disgust. This was a clan of warriors, not a zoo porn house.

Karai needed a new silent way to express her fondness to her lover, plus relieve her stress as well. Leo created an unique style of meditation that allowed them to enjoy each other in total secrecy.

And since they were so similar in mind, it worked well. For the past month, they were making love this way and although there was no definite proof they were still doing it physically, the rumors continued throughout the base.

Karai pretended not to care what her remaining troops said about her eccentric interests in 'men'. They thought she didn't hear them whenever they joked about her 'finding pleasure in the jungle or within any zoo'.

She was not to ever let on that she was hurt and shamed by their words. But once she reminded herself of her firm beliefs, she felt better and confident once more.

Leonardo was not an animal, well, not to her he wasn't. She knew that he started out as a turtle, but he was a man now. He may be part beast, but he was part human too. That's what really mattered to her.

"My spies have seen Hun and his clan near the bay. We believe they are rebuilding Kano's hideout and that may be his new current location. What are your orders?" Sala said, still bowed over.

"Observe them carefully. We shall strike when the moment is right. Next time, refrain from entering my private chambers if you value your life!" Karai's voice told the girl to know her place. Leo thought she was being overly harsh and commented once Sala had left.

"You didn't need to yell at her like that." Leo said, getting up from the cushion on the floor. He stretched out on Karai's expensive oversized red satin couch. She locked her doors and scoffed with a smile.

"Leonardo, you are truly blind." she told him, making Leo frown in confusion.

"Usually, my messenger Sala would never dare burst into the strict privacy of my room with such worthless information unless she had an ulterior motive." Karai joined Leo on the couch and he put his arms around her as she layed next to him.

"And what's that? She's not out to kill you, is she?"

"No." Karai paused to search Leo's eyes to see if he had noticed anything from Sala. She could tell he was clueless and smiled to herself.

He was completely devoted to her. She had no reason to be concerned of him. Sala would not succeed.

"What?" Leo asked, half smiling. He wished she would tell him what was going on here. Although it was risky, Karai longed to touch her cherished assassin as she did the month before. She kissed his beak before moving closer to him and nestling her head under his chin.

"Sala is quite fond of you, Leonardo." Karai said nonchalantly, confident in her lover's loyalty. Leo's eyes widened as he absorbed this info, then closed them as he snuggled her tenderly to his plastron. He missed being close to her like this.

Weeks without getting to really caress his beloved Karai even though she was always by his side tortured his soul. Leo wasn't used to being denied like that.

But for Karai's reputation within the base, he kept his hands to himself despite his desires for her. Now, finally, she seemed to be giving the green light for him to express his love to her.

"I feel sorry for her, because as we all know..." Leo paused to kiss Karai before going on. "...I'm only fond of you..."

She smiled as her green lover gently undressed her and quietly they became one again. Once it was over, Karai watched the stars twinkling outside her one way windows with Leo's arms around her bare chest as he dozed behind her.

'Father, am I wrong to be in love with my enemy? Is it wrong to love the one who murdered you? I ask myself this every time I am with him. He gives me such happiness, none of which I can find in...human men... I am at a loss.' Karai thought, hoping her adopted father's spirit could hear her somehow.

'Leonardo is similar to me than ever now. An orphan who has never known his real parents and he has known the joys of having a loving adopted father. I understand him and he understands me...' Karai smiled at this sentiment. But then it disappeared as she thought of something else.

'But I dread that we can not always be together. For he is not my kind... My Foot clan is not forgiving for what he is... I don't want to lose him, Father. Tell me what I must do to keep Leonardo in my life. Without him, I see no point to living my life...'

Karai sighed deeply, sitting up suddenly and waking Leo. He gazes at his beautiful prize with a soft smile and she turns to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asks once he sees her saddened expression. For once in her life, she confides in Leo and expresses her fears.

"I'm so worried..." she begins, struggling not to weep. Alarmed by her rare over-emotional tone, Leo sits up and takes hold of her arms.

"I'm here. You don't need to worry about anything, Karai." he said in his deep handsome voice, attempting to reassure her.

She shakes her head, hating how feeble she was appearing to him. But he was her best friend. He would understand and never think poorly of her revealing her true emotions. He would never accuse her of being weak.

"No, I have this apprehension that we are fated to part. My Foot clan... Your brothers... They don't want us to be together. I fear it will come to pass." Karai said, avoiding his eyes. Leo made her look at him.

"We will always be together, Karai. Don't worry." he told her, giving her a hug. "We control our lives, not fate."

"Perhaps... I still need an heir to my clan, but I don't know if this is possible for us. You and I...are different..." Karai said, hinting the obvious.

How did Chaplin's sister get pregnant by Donatello? Apparently it didn't go well since in the end the fetus perished according to the e-mails her science team sent from Area 51.

Karai was hoping she would get pregnant herself and give birth to a powerful inheritor. She had been taking medicine that would help her conceive, but it didn't seem to work. She prayed her organs weren't unproductive and sterile.

And having the last month wasted, Karai felt as if she was running out of time. Leonardo could be killed in battle any time and it would be too late. She did not want Chaplin fathering any of her children, he was a weak-minded fool.

He was not strong-willed nor possessed the sheer strength Leonardo had. He knew the importance of honor and lived by the code of the noble ninja. HE was the one she wanted to father her child, no other.

"Well, we haven't been able to do it for almost a month now. Maybe we'll be lucky this time. If not, we'll just keep trying. Donatello was able to prove that it can be done. And if he can do it, so can I."

"But that fetus died. What if-?" she began, but Leo interrupted her.

"Ours won't." Leo gave her a stern look. "Please, Karai. Stop worrying. Everything will be fine."

He layed back down on the couch and stretched. Though Leo was an avid worrier himself, he didn't want his lover to be plagued with such distressing thoughts.

Silently, Karai positioned herself so she was facing Leo this time and let his arms envelope her. 'Yes, everything will be fine. I will ensure it...' she thought as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Next time I catch you ripping off this shop, I ain't gonna be so nice! You got that, punk?" Raph shouted at some guy who tried to rob a Mom and Pop store. He had the young adult tied upside down on a lamp post outside the store.

"Screw you, lizard-butt!" the guy spat, making Raph lose his cool as he socked him in the face. The guy was unconscious from the punch and the red clad Turtle could hear the wail of sirens in the distance.

"D-mn it! When will you whackbags learn not to take things that don't belong to you?!" Raph scowled and leapt from the lamp post onto a nearby rooftop.

"Real nice, Raph." Don teased, practicing his katas with style.

"Shut up, Donnie. Are you gonna help or practice those stupid katas all night?"

"You said you wanted me to train, so I am."

"Convenient how you suddenly want to do it now when I'm cracking heads out there. Donnie, I told you, you gotta come out and help me with these scum-bags. You can't play wall-flower when it comes to busting crime."

Raph shakes his head when he sees Don shrugging. He could call him a wimp a million times and it wouldn't spark any fight in him. How he was able to not care about something like that was beyond Raph.

"Ergh... Hey, by the way, what's up with Leo lately? He's been gone so long that, dare I say it, I'm kinda missing that nag."

"He's on a new mission." Don said, twirling his bo staff between his fingers. "Karai's spies think they know where Kano's hiding at and they're going to finally get that psychopath. Good riddance."

"Hey, another thing. Why aren't you at work?" Raph asked as he scanned the area for more trouble. Another crime could happen at any moment, especially in this part of the city.

"The club's been temporarily closed for that murder that happened today." Don explained, feeling bad for Jesse. The Isotopes gang butchered off Kelly as punishment for Jesse not paying the money he owed them.

They did it during the day when no one was at the club. Since Cleo let Kelly practice on the stage when the club was closed, the Isotopes waited for the right moment to ambush the poor guy.

When Cleo found Kelly's mutilated body hanging from her office, she nearly had a heart attack. The gang had dragged Kelly from the stage and into the office where they brutally killed him.

"I can't believe you actually like working in a place like that." Raph commented, shaking his head again.

He didn't exactly fancy that his younger brother was dancing in front of gay people, but he didn't stop Don either. It was his life, so let him live it. That's how Raph saw it.

"You know why I do it." Don replied quietly and his older brother pulled away from the edge of the rooftop to give him a dejected stare.

"Yeah, but jeez! Donnie, you're a genius. You should be working at a school...a college university...NASA, I dunno. Geeky science places. Not some sleazy bar."

"If you haven't noticed Raph, but I _can't_." Don frowned, not liking how this sort of thing was being pointed out. Yes he was a genius, but the only kind of job he could get was at Cleo's night club. Being a mutant Turtle did have its disadvantages.

"And that 'sleazy bar' accepts people like us. They don't think us as freaks or monsters. That's why I like working there." Don said, putting his bo into its holder strapped around his shell.

"Yeah and you're chummy with the boss there too. Isn't that against the rules or sumthin'?"

"She says I'm absolutely perfect. I can't help it if she has the hots for me." Don said proudly.

"Perfect geek, you mean." Raph muttered, hoping Don would take a swing at him. Nothing. Man! What did it take to get him to fight with all his might?

"Yeah well, her place does serve d-mned good drinks there, so I guess it's not all bad." Raph sent his eyes over the east section once more and all was quiet.

The police had come and gone, taking away that punk. The presence of the cops must have scared the other criminals in the area. Raph decided it was time to go home and check on Mona Lisa.

"What time is it?" he asked and Don checked his watch under his leather wrist guard. "Almost four." Raph turned away from the edge and waved his hand over his head in a sweeping motion.

"Come on. Let's go. I want to see how Lisa's doing." The brothers raced each other home and while Raph was washing up, Don tended to Mona Lisa. He could take her cast off now.

He was about to go and get the tool he needed when he forgot to take the dirty bandages with him. He turned and tripped on a heavy wire, falling onto Mona Lisa.

As Don said he was sorry, he realized his hand was upon her left breast. Mona Lisa blushed and giggled. Poor Don. That stupid wire had been tripping him for days now, but he couldn't move it. He needed it there to supply enough power to his incubating truffle experiments.

Mona Lisa stopped giggling when she saw Raph murderously glaring at them from the doorway...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 25!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
After seeing Don on top of Mona Lisa, how badly will Raph take this and will Don be able to convince him of his innocence?  
Does Don's boss Cleo have any feelings for him or is she simply using him for financial gain?**

Chaplin indirectly sends an emotional wedge between Leo and Karai and their relationship is strained to the breaking point!

LATER: Rose returns to beg for Don's protection from their 'brainwashed-by-Bishop' son Assassin. Is she the same cruel insensitive person from before or the person Don thought she was when they fell in love?

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	25. Donatello 'Joins' The Purple Dragons

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.25

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Raph barely could believe what he was seeing. The moment he quits checking up on Don and Mona Lisa is the very exact moment Don tries to screw around with her!

"What the **H-LL** is going on here?!" Raph seethed through clenched teeth. Don hastily got up off Mona Lisa and started to explain. He knew it looked bad, but it wasn't what it seemed!

Sure Don liked Mona Lisa too, but he wouldn't stoop that low and take her from Raph. Besides, he had Cleo. While he verbally illustrated along with his hands, Don pointed out how that huge black wire made him trip and fall on Mona Lisa.

But Raph was too angry to believe it and his swelling ire grew stronger every passing second. After witnessing how overly friendly Don and Mona Lisa were for the past several weeks, he wasn't buying anything Don was going to say in his defense.

With his entire body trembling, Raph buried his right fist into Don's stomach, causing him to bow forward. Raph thrust his fist upward into Don's mandible, sending shooting pain throughout his jaw. Then he used his left fist to slam into Don's right eye and his little brother fell to the floor.

Mona Lisa screamed at him to stop, but Raph was so furious that he couldn't. He viciously kicked Don in the gut and sent him into a wall three feet away. He went after him and forced him up.

Raph roared his allegations at Don while the poor purple clad Turtle choked up blood and groaned in terrible pain. But through his throe, Don became angry as well and raised his leg up to kick Raph away.

"I..._**UGH!**_ I...didn't...do..what you think I did!" Don struggled to say as his jaw pounded in agony. He held his eye, which he knew was turning black and blue. Mona Lisa came to his defense and shouted at Raph.

"I TOLD you that he _TRIPPED_! He wasn't trying to get me, Raphael! It was an ACCIDENT! I can't believe you'd beat him up over a silly misunderstanding like this! Even if he was trying to charm me, I wouldn't accept! I have feelings only for you!"

As if Mona Lisa's words slapped sense into him, Raph blinked twice as his rage was replaced with worried confusion. Had he been wrong? Was Donnie really not trying to get Mona Lisa afterall? He didn't want to be like Leo and accuse others falsely.

Too upset to speak, he left the Lair immediately. The only other times he let his rage control him like that was when he almost killed Mikey when they were teens then a few years later, Leo. Now he tried to kill Don.

What was becoming of him? He could never forgive himself if he really did kill any of his brothers. For the first time in his life, he was afraid of himself.

That unruly temper of his... It was a monster! He thought back to how Leo dejectedly stared at him after he knocked him down onto his shell with his sai poised, ready to plunge into his face.

He was so angry at Leo for leaving them...him for two years and not even writing letters on the second year. He missed him so much and it seemed like Leo didn't care.

He never told anyone, not even Splinter how he cried for weeks when Leo first left. As much as he loathed his older brother's high and mighty attitude, he still loved him fiercely.

When Leo left for that special training in Central America, Raph kept thinking about when was the last time they had fun together or hugged. He couldn't remember and that hurt him more. Leo's long absence made it worse.

What if he never came back? What if he was killed? Raph didn't say goodbye or anything to Leo when he went. Not knowing if he'd ever see his brother again was what cut into his soul the deepest.

When Leo did finally come back, Raph was beyond bitter and so sore with him that he resented him. That resentment escalated into pure blind hatred until he couldn't take it anymore.

Once they fought on that rooftop for real for the first time in their lives, Raph nearly killed his older brother. The look on Leo's face helped snap him back to his senses and Raph realized how far his rage had taken him.

Disturbed and confused, he ran away from that altercation with tears burning in his eyes. What was wrong with him?! When he made up with Leo, he thought he was back in control and that crazed sightless animosity was caged.

But that wasn't so. It came back again tonight with a dire vengeance. Raph was so lost and bewildered. How could this have happened AGAIN?

After Raph's relationship with Don improved, he felt as if he could be like how Leo was to him, but in a much better light. Don would look up to him and adore him like how Raph did to Leo (though he'd never admit such a thing or show it much either).

Instead, he hurt Don and he felt terrible from it. He already screwed up with Mikey, he couldn't mess up with Don too. He decided it would be best to wait before approaching his little brother to apologize for his misdeeds.

* * *

Leo briefly returned to the Lair to get his spare weapons when he noticed how trashed Don was. He immediately began to interrogate him and Don wrote down on a pad of paper what happened to him. Although his jaw wasn't broken, it sure felt like it and he wanted to heal faster by not talking.

"_Raph_ did this to you? WHY?!" Leo cried, quickly getting upset. Mona Lisa came over to explain. Don was in too much pain to take her cast off so she did it herself after Don pointed to where the right tools were. She wasn't helpless afterall.

"Oh, ol' Raph thought Don was trying to steal me away from him. But what really happened was that Don tripped on that big wire over there and fell on me. Raph saw Don on top of me and he went ballistic." she explained.

Leo uttered a disgusted grunt. 'He _always_ goes ballistic...' he thought to himself. He had a terrible desire to scold Raph to death then. He couldn't wait to really lay it into him.

"I'm going topside to look for Raph and get some supplies." Mona Lisa added, going over to where the disguises were kept. Leo protested, offering to get them for her.

But she refused. She wanted to help them since they helped her so much. It was only fair, plus she was a lizard lady, not a jellyfish. She had to find Raph afterall. He probably was getting himself into more trouble. She left moments later and Leo started to lecture Don.

He had to be reminded how important Leo's protection was and maybe now he would believe it. Though Leo was appalled that Raph beat Don up, he also viewed it as deserved punishment for his little brother not wanting Leo's supervision.

"Do you see _why_ I _need_ to be around watching you guys? I can't leave you alone without something bad happening!" Leo shouted, then paused as he lowered his voice.

"Don't think for a second that I don't know that you and Raph are hiding something from me either. I'll find out what it is one way or another." Leo went on and on, chiding relentlessly.

A gold ring around Leo's secondary finger on his left hand shined in the light, irritating Don once more. He had seen that stupid thing on his brother's finger for over a month now and he _knew_ Karai had forced, er, 'given' it to Leo.

Don found it sickening. Karai didn't love Leo! How could he accept her ring and pretend to be his wife like that? She only did it to have a more 'valid' excuse to control Leo. It couldn't be official and there was no way Don would ever agree to being that witch's brother-in-law.

If they had any children, the geeky Turtle would be mortified. Why did Leo always have to succeed where Don failed? It was maddening!

Don would have to be nice to the spawn, otherwise Leo probably would label him instantly as an incredibly bad, uncaring uncle, a black sheep, or in their case, a black Turtle.

Angrily, Don wrote something on the notepad then. He wasn't going to tell him before, but after Raph's unjustified merciless beating, he was given reason to tell Leo everything that happened to him at Area 51.

Don ripped the completed note off the pad and thrust it in Leo's face. The blue clad Turtle read it and bit his tongue. Raph got Don drunk at Area 51 and inadvertently enabled Bishop to experiment on Don?

He suffered ungodly tortures at the hands of Bishop, forced to go into hyper mutation, and then hunted down. He was tortured and humiliated, treated like a lowly ignorant beast. Leo noticed the teary look in his younger brother's eyes and instantly felt terrible.

Here he was yelling and scolding him when Don had gone through horrific ordeal. No wonder he was so indifferent lately! He must have been so hurt and upset and...Leo wasn't there for him.

Feeling incredibly guilty, Leo hugged Don and understood why he didn't want to hug him back. But, it was alright. He would make it up to him by being a more open and understanding brother.

He told him so and saw a small flicker of warmth in Don's eyes for him. To cheer him up, Leo later bribed Mikey to take Don to the local museum to see the new dinosaurs exhibit.

A year's worth of Justice Force comics and chocolate ice cream was enough to get Mikey to do anything, so he happily promised to take Don to the museum once he was feeling better.

Leo would have offered to take Don himself, but he couldn't. If Karai needed help, he didn't want to be forced to leave Don behind in the museum. That wouldn't be what one would call 'making it up' to someone.

Taking on his usual role of being the responsible older brother, he helped Don to his room and went as far to tuck him into bed, which irritated Don like crazy. He waited until Leo left before he flung the covers away from his chin.

'He's doing it AGAIN! I am so sick and tired of being babied!' Don kicked his bed post, but pain forced him to give up on continuing his angry thoughts.

He sank his head into his pillow to try and sleep. Healing was what he needed to do now, not fuss over how Leo was STILL treating him like a kid.

He wondered what Mikey was doing as he overheard the muffled, yet loud crashing and booming sound effects coming from his room.

Mikey was probably playing mind-numbing video games or watching some mind-numbing flick in his room. Oh well. At least Don had a trip to the newest dinosaur exhibit to look forward to.

Downstairs, Leo was supposed to return to the skyscraper, but he stayed in living room of the Lair instead. He wanted to wait for Raph to come back so he could chew him out for getting Don into a situation like that with Bishop.

How could he be so irresponsible like that?! What if Don was killed? That was just like Raph, to be a careless hot-head. Leo felt his anger expand like a thin balloon, ready to pop any second.

But Raph never returned that night and neither did Mona Lisa. Worried that they might be in trouble again, Leo wanted to go look for them. But Karai called on his cel phone and asked him why he hadn't returned to the Foot fortress yet.

Forcing himself not to worry about them, he left a note for Mikey and Don to make sure Raph and Mona Lisa were ok and to call him.

He would have told Mikey directly, but he was playing a new video game he bought the day before and nothing could tear him away from it.

If Leo told him anything, Mikey wouldn't even realize it. He was that heavily into the game. He had said yesterday that he had a lot of fandom to catch up on and so he was doing that as much as he could before Karai summoned him to fight again.

Mikey couldn't believe how many reviews he got from his longest running fanfiction about SuperQuest since he last checked. It was practically close to six hundred reviews!

Being a part-time member of the Justice Force helped get many to read his story along with those who lived and breathed SuperQuest. Mikey was beyond pleased with his fandom base and even thought of starting up his pirate radio show again.

He nearly got busted the last time so many years ago and he decided to lay low for a while. Years have passed and his radio fans were begging him online to start it again. Mikey decided to grant their wish, as soon as Kano was destroyed.

If only the Justice Force could help them, but no. The government ordered them to disband and they went their separate ways. Some of them even lost their super powers, the reasons unknown. They couldn't help even if they wanted to now.

It was like fate didn't want the Justice Force to be around anymore. Mikey always wondered why that was. 'Fate. She is a cruel cold mistress.' Mikey thought as he typed it down as he wrote more of his fic.

"Heh heh! Cruel cold mistress... That's Karai! I could put her into my story, but name her Fate instead. And naturally her boyfriend is green and her closest lackey, a pretend hubby! Hmm... What to call big bro Leo here... I know! Peeping-Lee the Frog Prince! That's great, no one will ever figure out who they really are. _HEHEEE!_" Mikey laughed to himself as the SuperQuest soundtrack blasted his ears while he typed furiously with glee.

"Ooo! Ooo! New e-mails!" Mikey cried and clicked it open. Lots of them were fan mail asking for different things to be continued from fics to Mikey's radio show and his famous fan artwork series of Transformers.

One was from Angel inviting him to a costume party that was going to happen in three nights from then. He wrote back saying he would come and as a Turtle of course.

Though Mikey didn't love Angel, he did like her alright as a friend and time would tell if his heart would accept her. She was fun to be around afterall and she was always accommodating to him, trying to find the best places where they could hang out.

Like costume parties or night clubs that didn't care if you wore concealing heavy clothing, Angel was good at finding parties at such places.

While Mikey had toned down his excessive drinking habits, he was having some trouble shaking the smoking habit. Angel also had the same problem and together they made a little vow to stop the habit once and for all.

Leo heard Mikey scream loudly with joy over whatever he was watching in his room. He sighed and shook his head, looking at his cel phone. Karai wanted him back and he couldn't disappoint her.

'I can't be babysitting them all the time.' he thought, actually getting tired of playing 'mother hen'. He closed his eyes briefly and silently prayed a fast prayer to Splinter.

'Please Master. Keep my brothers safe while I'm away. Please.' At top of the stairs, he forlornly looked down the hall to his brothers' rooms for a moment and then left.

* * *

One late afternoon when Don's injuries were almost healed, April startled the geek Turtle when she came wandering into the Lair. Having not seen her for so long, he went to embrace her and she took this as a positive sign that they weren't sore at her.

"Oh, Don! It's been months since I've seen you!" April cried, hugging him back and then pulled away with a smile. She noticed his black eye and grew concerned.

"What happened to your eye, Don?"

"Oh, that was Raph's doing. It's a long story. Here, sit. I'll get you something to drink." he offered, heading for the kitchen.

"Thanks." She took a seat on the worn couch and looked around the usually quiet Lair. "Uh, where are the guys?"

"Um, I think Mikey's at a party somewhere and ever since Raph gave me this lovely black eye, he's been away. I think he's with Mona Lisa though. And Leo's helping Karai." Don said bitterly.

He didn't know that Raph had been calling Leo from pay phones, telling him not to worry and that he and Mona Lisa were fine. Leo naturally tried to scold him right there and then, but Raph had to cut him off.

He quickly told Leo that he needed to reflect on what he had done to Don and would come back when he was ready. It was an answer that eased Leo's worries, but did not stifle his desires to reprimand Raph later.

"Is something wrong?" April asked, sensing trouble from Don's disgusted tone.

He sighed and decided to fill her in, giving her the short version of what transpired the months before. He even told her about Rose and how she dumped him for being what he was.

April expressed much sympathy, which comforted Don. Her warmth empowered him to finally tell her how much he liked her when they first met. And how much Raph liked her as well.

She seemed a bit surprised to learn about these secret crushes of her long-time green friends. No wonder Don looked so happy whenever she awarded him a kiss here and there.

"You had no idea how much I felt for you, April. I used to lie awake at night thinking about you all the time." Don admitted, gazing into her eyes and touching her hand. She blushed and pulled her hand away.

"That's flattering, but I hope you don't do that anymore, Don. I'm married now." April said, avoiding his eyes. She heard him sigh in defeat.

"I know. I know. I wouldn't have been able to win you anyway. Raph had his eyes set on you and I'd easily lose to him. He'd smack me down so fast, so I gave up. But Raph had to as well. He cares about both you and Casey, so he let you go."

"I never knew..." April breathed, amazed and bit shaken. Her sweet cute 'innocent' Turtle friends had the hots for her? Well, two of them did.

"Anyway, you really hurt Raph when you accused him of harming May." Don told her, making her realize that they were still upset with her on that. "You should apologize to him personally. I don't think he ever got over it. Can't say I blame him either..."

"You're right, Don. You're right." April replied solemnly, looking down at her hands resting in her lap. She clenched her hands into fists and narrowed her eyes. She would make things right again.

"Call me when he gets back and I'll be sure to make it up to him."

"Sure, I'll do that." Don watched her get up from the couch. She paused and turned to look at him. "Donnie, thanks for telling me all this. I'm glad we're still friends."

"You'll always be special to me, April... Er, I mean us." Don added quickly, then grinned charmingly. She left with a smile on her face.

She couldn't wait to tell Casey that things were going to be patched up and there was no need to keep worrying about the guys. They were back! And they were still their friends. Friends to the end.

* * *

Spending an entire night partying and drinking caused Mikey to crash for a whole day and night. As Don got ready to go to work, he checked up on his little brother who was still laying in bed.

Don figured Mikey couldn't be that bad off if he was reading his comic books which were strewn all over his bed. "I'm going now, Mikey. If you leave the Lair, keep your cel phone on so our dear sweet older brother Leo can contact us. Ok?"

"Yeah, yeah." Mikey mumbled, thumbing through a special anniversary BugMan issue. He peeked at his older brother and gawked at his holographic purple and pink tassels dangling from his arm pads. Don's belt was also holographic, glittering with purple and pink Yin-Yang symbols

"Dude, that's some flashy stuff you get to wear. Hey! Did that Cleo lady say she needed another dancer yet? I can sure dance up a mean green storm!"

"I didn't ask her. I forgot." Don lied, not wanting to share the spotlight. Cleo might like Mikey better since he could sing too and he couldn't chance that. He wasn't about to share her with anybody. Especially not Mikey.

"Oh come on! I can thrust my hips just as good as you can! Oh please please please, Donnie! Ask her this time! PLEASE!!!" Mikey cried, loving to be the center of attention.

Where better to get that delicious attention than up on stage in front of many cheering adoring fans? He had to have it! He craved being in the spotlight, being hysterically reverenced. Basking in idol worship was something that made Mikey a very happy terrapin.

"Forget it, Mikey. Cleo can't afford another dancer. Besides, you don't know what else that goes along with this job." Don emphasized how there were some gay guys there that had never met a razor and were extremely hairy. And very friendly to everyone.

Mikey screamed like a girl just thinking about it. Overly hairy people always had scared him. When they were tots, Raph used to tease Mikey by pretending to be a hairball monster that would bury him alive in brown smelly hair so he could be eaten.

Don had helped Raph to make this hairy costume and Raph soaked it in stale river water for hours to get a good funky stink into it. Then Don would distract Mikey while Raph would creep up behind him and smother him in the dirty wet hair.

"Oh, shell! Ugh! GAG! Ok, ok! Screw the whole thing, I ain't interested anymore! I'm gonna just stay here in my room and read my comics where it's safe." Mikey threw his BugMan comic up to his face and shivered.

Hairy anything was a nightmare to him. Master Splinter was ok, he wasn't that overly hairy nor scary, well, most of the time. But anything else, no way. Mikey was scarred for life thanks to Raph.

Don chuckled to himself as he left the Lair. Poor Mikey. So gullible! At work, Don swayed his hips professionally in smooth motions that drove the audience wild.

The purple clad Turtle's seductive dancing was always a hit at the night club and it was something the patrons looked forward to. The glittery sparkling terrapin's sweet moves easily enticed many and word got around, causing more new people to come so they could watch him.

Enough time had passed and Cleo believed Don was good enough to be interviewed by her nephew Bradley. She invited him to come see Don that night at her townhouse. As she led him into her home, she told him someone wanted to meet him.

Taken aback by this, Don hesitated in the mud room. He wasn't keen on meeting a new human just like that. It was too late for Don to escape and when Cleo came to fetch him, he reluctantly followed her into the living room.

The moment Brad saw him, he whipped out a handful of shurikens as he took a fighting stance. "Red Foot Clan Assassin!" he shouted and threw the metal stars at Don. Cleo let out a scream of surprise.

Currently, the Foot Clan was divided into two colors; red and purple. Karai's clan was red, while Kano's was purple and red, but they simply referred it to the purple claw/foot of the dragon to signify that the Purple Dragons were associated with Kano's clan.

Don dodged the attack and tackled Brad to the plush carpet with the length of his bo up against the teen's throat. "Bradley!" Cleo shouted and yanked at Don's shoulder to get him off her nephew.

"Donatello, stop this! He is my nephew! Get off of him!"

"What?!" Don cried, but he obeyed and backed off the kid.

"Aunt Cleo, you never told me that this...'man' was one of Karai's elite assassins!" Brad shouted, feeling betrayed. "He can not be trusted!" Cleo seemed shocked at this news. She never knew that Don was with Karai's clan.

"Is this true, Don?" she asked. Karai was bad news to Cleo's side of people.

"I resigned... I don't want _anything_ to do with Karai. She's a controlling tyrant. I hold no allegiance to her." Don said darkly and he meant it.

"Prove it then, assassin! If you have no loyalty to her clan, then you must show it by aiding OUR side. If you don't, then I will know you are nothing, but LYING Red Foot Clan scum! And then you must be killed..." Brad scowled.

"I _can_ affirm I'm no longer with Karai." Don said, forming a plan quickly. If he could get inside of Kano's forces, he could relay whatever he discovered to his brothers and help Mikey get his revenge and end this silly war once and for all.

Unfortunately, that would be helping Karai too, but Don deemed it alright since once the war was over, then Karai would have no excuse to keep any of his brothers around as her personal slaves.

He could end all this crap once and for all. He wasn't going to be soft on Karai though. He was going to make her sorry for brainwashing Leo into being her eternal lackey and locking him into that stupid oath to make the rest of them her slaves.

"What do you want me to do to prove myself to you?" the purple clad Turtle inquired, hoping it was something he could do without making Leo believe he was a complete traitor to his terrapin brotherhood.

"Do you know of the Isotopes gang?" Brad asked, still suspicious of this Red Foot Clan assassin.

"Yes, they're the ones who killed Kelly Tulken and harass the others at Cleo's night club." Don said, figuring out quickly where this was going. "You want me to kill their leader, right?"

"Aunt Cleo, you were right. He _is_ smart." Brad said, finally bearing a grin. Cleo beamed, happy to please her nephew. If she pleased him, then he would give Kano a good review of her. She would be greatly rewarded if things went well.

"I trust you can find the Isotopes leader without your hand being held, right?" Brad asked then.

"Duh-uhhh." Don couldn't help, but to be sassy. He didn't like people asking if he needed to be babied or not.

"Bring back proof when the job's done and then my boss will test you further. If you pass, Kano will give you your final test. After that, you'll be an elite Purple Foot Clan assassin. And I recommend you strive for that status if you want any respect from us, reptile."

Brad exited the house, leaving his aunt with Don. She gave him strange look, then sighed. Don returned the odd stare. "What it is, Cleo?"

"I... I never knew you used to work for Karai..." Cleo said, feeling uneasy around him. Karai's minions meant death for her family. Her husband and son's plane crash was caused by Karai's Foot ninja afterall...

"I didn't really ever work for her actually." Don pointed out. Cleo went on, explaining how it was Karai's men who helped kill her beloved ones. Don wanted to punish 'Little Miss Shredder' even more then. That monster!

"Don't worry, Cleo. I'll get justice for your family. It's the least I can do for you." Don said, hugging her close. While Cleo was drawn to Don's sexually appealing nature, she didn't love him like a normal person would.

She 'loved' him like how a shallow using person would. She was a very manipulating person, but didn't believe herself to be. She thought she was a decent and normal person actually.

And Don was her very good friend whom she found very profitable to keep around and she wasn't going to give him up for anything...

* * *

The next night, Don went to work as usual and after his show was over, Don went to the back rooms to get a drink when he heard a vicious beating going on in the alley outside the rear of the building.

He opened the rear exit door and turned his head to see Jesse getting a royal beat down by those stupid Isotopes gang members again.

Profat-Daddy stood back and watched as his goons Jay and Rally kicked Jesse mercilessly into a brick wall. Don employed his bo staff against their heads after knocking Profat-Daddy out of the way.

Jesse was coughing and wheezing as Don helped him up while asking him if he was alright. The man nodded his head as he shakily clung to Don for support. He was alright now that Don was there.

"You _**AGAIN**_!?" Profat-Daddy roared, taking steps to attack Don when the Turtle held up his bo out into the gut of the huge chunky man, stopping him.

"Yes, it's me. Don't you think you did enough when you slaughtered Kelly? _**Leave this poor man alone!**_" Don shouted, frowning with his eyes narrowed to thin slits. He testily eyed Jay and Rally as they slowly got back to their feet, groaning and holding their heads.

Profat-Daddy backed up a bit and Don moved his bo away, yet he was waiting for them to attack again. He would make them sorry for harming those who were weaker than them!

"Yo, Profat! Whattya want us to do to this wanna-be hero?" Rally asked, reaching into his back pocket for a switch blade. Jay began to unravel a length of heavy thick chain he had laying on a dumpster. They were going to torture Jesse with it before, but now it would have a different victim.

"Let's take 'im to The One. He'll know what to do with 'im!" Profat-Daddy bellowed, thinking he was doing the right thing. Don had to hold back a grin as he pretended to protest, beseeching for mercy.

"Oh no, NOT him! Don't take me to your dreaded butt-ugly boss! Oh dear!" Don pleaded, cowering and sounding like Professor Honeycutt perfectly. It was so much fun.

Jesse began to beg too, for Don that is. He didn't want the only guy who was sticking up for him to get wasted by The One. Profat-Daddy, Rally, and Jay were no longer interested in Jesse anymore.

They wrapped the chains around Don's hands and his neck, creating a collar. The purple clad Turtle pretended to choke for effect, which scared Jesse to death.

They dragged Don away to their shiny black sports car and sped off, peeling rubber. Jesse wished he could help, but he knew he had no power to do so. Sadly, he hobbled home, feeling horrible and guilty.

Don continued to beg and whine on purpose to get the idiots to think he really was a weakling, not the cunningly clever swift assassin of the shadows that he truly was.

Once at their dinky hideout, Don was thrown into The One's private pool hall. Needing to have the chains removed, he mind tricked The One into giving him 'one last chance at life' by competing instead of blowing his head off instantly.

Don always liked pool next to skateboarding. He was having a lot more fun than he ever did on any of Karai's stale missions. He wished he had 'changed sides' sooner.

The One liked the odds of chance and agreed. Using his keen eyesight and wit, it didn't take much for Don to get most of the balls into the pockets. The One was growing annoyed at losing and stated that he was going to just kill him anyway.

"I hope you can scream fast enough, because..." Don wasted no time reaching the other end of the pool hall where The One stood and swung his bo staff right into the guy's face, causing the leader to fall instantly to the floor.

A small spray of blood littered the pool table. For once this kill wasn't super messy. To finish the job, Don bent down to break the man's neck, an effortless task. At least he didn't have to get covered in blood for this hit.

Don slung the guy over his shoulder and left the room quietly. Despite his stealthy maneuvers, a handful of goons here and there tried to stop him.

He knocked them out instead of slaying and kept going until he was outside. Then he hopped the rooftops to where Brad had told him to bring the proof. Little did he know it was a popular hideout for Purple Dragons.

He was met with much hostility and believing he was set up, Don slaughtered the foolish Dragons that attacked him. Due to the loud commotion, Hun appeared on crutches.

"**WHAT?!** _How'd_ you _find_ this place, you freak?!" he roared, leaning on a crutch so he could throw a large metal barrel at the purple clad Turtle. "I don't care as long as I smash you flat!"

"Stop! I'm here to see Bradley Satin!" Don yelled, after he dodged the barrel. Hun paused and the other Purple Dragons around him began to laugh with the blonde long ponytailed man.

"Don't tell me _**YOU'RE**_ the turncoat of Karai's clan! **HAR HAR!** This is too much!" Hun kept laughing until Don flung The One's carcass at him, knocking him flat on his back.

"There's your proof. I took care of the Isotopes' leader as Satin instructed me to." Don said with too much attitude for Hun to bear. First that freak throws a dead body at him, knocking him over and now he acts like he owns the whole joint!

Hun scrambled to get back on his crutches and charged at Don. He swung each crutch out like arms throwing punches. Don dodged the attacks and used his bo to send a crutch flying out of reach. He did the same with the other when Hun stupidly swung again.

Falling onto a collection of barrels, Hun held onto them for support and scowled. Kano did nothing to help with Hun's badly injured leg, where Raph bit off a huge chuck from his calf. He couldn't walk well ever since.

Infection after infection plagued the giant to no end. He was told by doctors that he may lose that leg all together if they couldn't control the infections. Hun fiercely hated those Turtles...

Still Kano expected Hun to give _this_ purple clad Turtle a test and the giant wasn't going to give him an easy one. No, he planned to give him one of the hardest tests that possibly could get Donatello killed.

If he got butchered, then oh well. One less freak to worry about. But if he passed, then Kano could really use that Turtle to his full bestial potential...

Hun's minions retrieved his crutches and the giant changed his hostile expression to a strangely friendly one.

"Come on in and I'll give you the details for your next test..." Hun said, grinning sneakily.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 26!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)**

**Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
What sort of test is Hun going to give Donatello? Will he pass or be destroyed? What will his brothers think of his 'betrayal'?**

**Where are Raph and Mona Lisa staying at while away from the Lair?**

Chaplin returns with control collars which Leo is none too happy about and Karai slowly believes Chaplin's warnings to put the collars on the Turtles asap are reasonable and valid.

LATER: Rose returns to beg for Don's protection from their 'brainwashed-by-Bishop' son Assassin. Is she the same cruel insensitive person from before or the person Don thought she was when they fell in love?

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	26. Don's Deathly Test & Leo's Devastation

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.26

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!  
**Also I added a tad bit of new content in Chapter 25 about Raph and his rage problems.**

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Hun grinned a wide sneaky smile as he watched the Turtle Donatello leave his personal bunker. He waited about five minutes before he called in Kano's best four stealth invisibility ninjas to spice up Don's test.

"Liven up that freak's test and make sure he fails." Hun said, his tone low and evil. He pointed to a case filled with deadly weapons. The stealth ninjas had a nice variety to choose from.

One took a nunti bo, a sai-shaped spear, while another snatched a kuwa, a deadly hoe. The third grabbed naga surujin, a weighted chain, and the fourth obtained a kama, a short bladed sickle.

"Attack him one by one and weaken him, then destroy him while he's down. Show no mercy. Kill the freak and bring his shell to me when you complete the job! Understand?" Hun ordered and the stealth ninjas all bowed respectively.

In a blink of an eye, they disappeared almost seemingly into thin air. Hun snickered, his giggling changing into full blown laughter. There was no way that Turtle would survive these stealth ninjas.

Hun positioned himself in front of his favorite chair and sat down carefully. All he had to do now was sit back and wait for the stealth ninjas to bring back that green freak's carcass.

As Don made his way through the city, he quickly realized he was being followed. But everytime he looked behind or around himself, there was no one in sight.

Don's nose told him otherwise and he figured this must be part of Hun's test. He was glad he took along his special shock shurikens that night.

As he passed a small water tower, Don devised a plan on how to really get these invisible suckers off his shell all at once. He turned around and went back to the water tower. He stood under it and waited for his pursuers to attack him.

A hard blow came to his chest and sent him flying backwards to one of the water tower's support beams. Coughing, Don struggled to put air back in his lungs after that strong hit when another slammed into his shell, forcing him forward.

He was kicked back as the nunti bo speared his left shoulder. Don grabbed the unseen weapon and yanked it from his bleeding wound. Don attacked back, but couldn't land any blows on them.

Suddenly, metal bit deep into his shell and Don cried out in distress. The removal of the kama blade was twice as painful, but he no time to even acknowledge it as the naga surujin punched the poor terrapin in the gut.

Blood splattered onto the rooftop as Don coughed in agony, his shaking arms barely holding him up while he was on his hands and knees. He was viciously kicked on the left side and he turned, falling onto his shell.

Don wasn't keen on letting these guys beat him up more, so he flung five regular shurikens into the water tower above him. The metal stars shot through the bottom of the tower and created some nice holes for the water to escape through.

As the water sprayed down, Don could see the vague outlines of his attackers and wasted no time throwing the shock shurikens into their chest plates. Then in the next split-second, he back-flipped out of the puddles and landed on the rooftop's edge to safety.

The shrieking screams of the stealth ninjas echoed throughout the night as they were electrocuted to their doom. The smell of burnt flesh and hair filled Don's nose and he spat, wrinkling his snout.

"Ok, no one said this test would be easy." Don muttered, panting as he held his bloody shoulder. He felt wet drops dripping onto his tail and he knew the damage to his shell was extensive.

He wished he didn't have to move, but he had to. This wasn't the end of the test. Far from it actually. 'What a way to start off...' Don thought bitterly as he made his body go to where he was supposed to go in the first place.

Hun had said he wanted Don to go to Julterin Street where the KluTran gang's leader, Joe Holbant, lived. Hun wanted Don to retrieve Holbant's cherished wife Stacy and bring her back to a certain Purple Dragon hideout where he would be waiting at later.

They wanted to use her as a good incentive to make that disobedient gang leader pay for the markers he owed to the Purple Dragons. They waited a month for their payment and then out of the blue, Holbant flat out refused to pay anything back.

So, they were going to MAKE him pay one way or another. If Mrs. Holbant was killed or badly injured while she was being kidnapped, then Don would fail the test and be executed.

Easy, one might think to kidnap a 'helpless' female. Not at all. Stacy Holbant was no pushover. She was highly skilled in martial arts and that was why Hun's thugs couldn't kidnap her earlier to make Joe pay. Hun knew this job would at least give the freak plenty of trouble.

The KluTran gang wasn't a small time group with low level thugs and punks; they were on a higher scale like the Foot clan. Hun was almost certain that Don would be shot down mercilessly as soon as he tried to kidnap Stacy.

That was why he gave him this job. If the stealth ninjas failed somehow, then Holbant's men shouldn't. Hun lost close to a hundred men to those idiots when he sent them to take Stacy. What chance did one stupid green animal have?

Hun would have warned the Holbants that Don was coming to ensure his death, but his gang needed that debt paid back immediately, so he kept quiet. Six hundred million wasn't exactly something they could 'write off' and forget about.

Don poised himself flat against the west wall of the Holbant's mansion. Whoever this guy was, he had his home heavily guarded. He couldn't count how many times he was almost spotted.

If it wasn't for this terrible pain, he wouldn't be this 'sloppy'. He got up onto the second floor by scaling a study flower tendril holder and found the window to the Holbant's master bedroom.

Don was glad that prying the window open was an easy silent operation to complete. He snuck in and began to make his way over to the sleeping humans in their king sized bed.

Then he smelled them. Three Dobermans attacked him at once, growling and snarling. Don struggled with them as the humans instantly woke up from the disturbance.

Holbant yanked a pistol out from under his pillow and started shooting, screaming out obscenities. Stacy got her own gun out and did the same as her husband; shooting, swearing, and all.

Don dodged most of the bullets and felt sorry for the dogs as two of them got hit by their owners' weapons. He leapt onto their bed and wasted no time knocking the pistols from their hands with one sweep of his bo.

Stacy jumped at him, punching and scratching like a feline. Don managed to grab this spitting angry 'cat' and flung her onto his good shoulder.

He jumped off the bed with Stacy and headed for the window. Holbant scrambled out of bed and chased after them. He hollered out his protests and threw a punch at Don.

He caught the fist and crushed it within two seconds, then flung the man three feet away to the nearest wall. Stacy squirmed hard, trying to break free to beat Don up for hurting her husband. But Don was too strong for her.

"You d-mn green lizard freak! I'll kill you for hurting my Joseph! Let me go! Bastard!" she shrieked, grabbing the attention of her guards to come to her aid.

Five armed guards rushed into the bedroom and shot at Don like there was no tomorrow. In less than a second, Don was through the window and outside. He raced for the stone wall surrounding the mansion. Behind the wall, was the 'safety' of the woods.

Stacy realized this and grew afraid. She really was being kidnapped, no! But, there was no way this freak could scale that wall by jumping it! She screamed loudly while she was forced into flight as Don leapt clear over that eight foot wall.

Stunned and overwhelmed by the entire situation, Stacy passed out. Don kept running, not stopping for anything. The guards were chasing after him with rifles and more dogs.

Thankfully Don's scent was lost through the wide stream he had to cross and he finally got his pursuers off his tail. He ran for another mile just in case. Then fatigue overtook him.

Out of breath and energy, Don had to stop. He let Stacy fall off his shoulder as he went to his knees and bent over to catch his breath again. Due to his constant movements, his wounds were being reopened.

This was a very negative blow to his body, causing him to lose more blood and making him weaker. He wished he rest longer or even give up, but he knew couldn't. He reminded himself of how important this test was to complete.

If he climbed past this rung on the 'ladder' of Kano's forces, he would be a step closer to ending the war. He couldn't give up. He had to free his brothers, especially Leo, from Karai's hold.

The determination to do so pushed Don back to his feet. He placed Stacy onto his right shoulder and trudged back to where Hun told him to go to once he had Holbant's wife.

Hun was there relaxing in a chair, drinking a beer. He spat out his fizzy brew when he saw Donatello alive and with Stacy Holbant over his shoulder. Annoyed that the freak hadn't been creamed, Hun had to admit the mutant did good.

He was able to pull off a job none of his men ever could do. Maybe those Turtles weren't as inferior and contemptible as he first thought.

"Uhh, good work, um... What was your name again?" Hun asked, not remembering which one was which. He never cared to recall their names. They practically looked all the same to him.

"Donatello." The purple clad Turtle replied, his voice sore and scratchy.

"Looks like Holbant's guards gave you some h-ll, but you did manage to get Stacy so you pass. I'll recommend you to Kano and when he's ready, he'll summon you for the final test." Hun clapped his hands then and a servant rushed in.

"Yes, Master Hun." The minion bowed and awaited his orders.

"Have Stacy taken to the holding cells and get a vet..." Hun paused, noting the insulted look on Don's face.

"...I mean, doctor in here to patch up Donatello here. Hurry up! We can't have a fellow Purple Dragon left untreated like this." Hun bellowed, making a show of false companionship.

The lackey raced off to do as he was told. Hun smirked cockily, pretending to be friendly and accepting of Don now. The Turtle set Stacy down into an empty chair and his back was to Hun.

The blonde giant noticed the nasty long oozing gash in his shell and stifled a pleased snicker. So the stealth ninjas were successful at giving that creature some trouble.

It was kinda impressive to see the terrapin still standing after all those injuries. The new healing drug Kano's scientists just created needed a fresh guinea pig. Hun, always wishing negative things to happen to the Turtles, hoped the drug would harm Don instead.

The purple clad Turtle was skeptical to be given a new untested drug, but the lady doctor assured him it was safe. The lab rats shown a great recovery rate to different diseases and injuries.

"It's proven safe to animals; you should be fine." Dr. Sara Perry said as she flicked the needle with her finger to get the air bubbles out. Don scrunched his face in annoyance.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not just an _animal_." Don told her darkly. He was really sensitive to the subject where he was seen as only an animal. He was more than that. A lot more.

It wasn't that he was ashamed to have been an animal before, it was just his kind was usually seen as inferior and ignorant creatures. And he was sick of being seen like that by those who were the real ignorant beings...

"I'm sorry." Sara replied quickly, not meaning to offend. She was given the impression by Hun that Don wasn't on the same level as people.

He was a freak of nature, a stupid lowly beast that wasn't on par with humans. Maybe he wasn't a freak, but a human instead. She wanted to find out.

"Were you human before? Did Kano's father, the Shredder use you in his experiments? I could help you, if that's what you want." Sara was hoping to stay on his good side. Hun did say this creature was dangerous and advised her to keep a tranquilizer gun with her at all times.

"No..." Don answered, bitterness flooding every ounce of his being. "I... I never was a human before... You could never help me. Not in the way I want."

Being human was like a fantasy dream that Don knew would never come true. When Mikey was human due to Kano's curse, Don secretly was jealous. If he was completely human, Rose would take him back, no problem.

But somehow with Renet's help, Mikey was returned to normal and Don never got to find out how Kano did it. A thought crossed his mind of asking Kano personally once he was considered one of them, but he dashed the notion.

Kano had stripped Mikey's terrapin powers when he made him human. Don didn't want to lose his natural Turtle strength. If he did, how could he protect Rose? Having her back would mean nothing if some threat came along to take her away and he wouldn't be able stop it.

If he was human, he could have a good chance of getting Rose back, but he would lose everything else. His strength, his true identity, and even his brothers in a way.

They may still socialize with him, but he wouldn't be able to join them whenever they went on patrol or fight bad guys. It would never be the same, it would be like losing them. The price of becoming human was too high and it disgusted him.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can at least help you heal and faster than normal too. This drug cuts the healing time by more than half. Your shell should seal up on its own within weeks, not months. And your shoulder will be completely healed by next week, I almost can guarantee it." Sara said, proud to be saying such since she was practically the one who created the new drug.

Don asked if he could have a sample of it to analyze and after he rattled on about how he thought it could work better if this or that was done, Sara was intrigued by his incredible intelligence.

She asked him what his age was and she was even more amazed. How could a young creature be this smart? Why, he made all the members in MENSA combined seem like a bunch of imbecilic fools.

Surely, she could learn something from this young one. She spent thirty-five years as a doctor and part-time scientist, yet this Turtle creature was extremely wise despite his youthful age.

Not that a juvenile couldn't be smart, it was just unbelievable that this creature that part animal was so intelligent. Fantastic! She asked him what his name was.

"Well, Donatello, I'm pleased to meet such a genius. I am Sara Perry." She held her hand out and Don shook it, feeling very tired. The healing drug had a sedative effect and after Hun's test, Don was nearly falling asleep right then and there.

"Perry...?" Don remembered that name even though he hadn't heard it in years. "Do you... Do you know of...a...man named Jordan Perry?"

"Why, yes! He's my husband. How do you...-" Sara had to catch Don as he fell forward, losing control and about to black out. Don struggled to stay awake as he replied.

"He was...my friend..." Don closed his eyes and dropped to the floor since Sara wasn't strong enough to hold him up. She called for her assistants to help move Don to Kano's medical facilities.

Hun was glad to see the freak go. It was up to Kano to either make or break him now. If Donatello was beneficial to Kano's clan and the Purple Dragons, then so be it.

Hun would be more convinced to let him live should that freak prove useful in the end. If not, he would be more than happy to be his executioner.

* * *

Karai left her private quarters to go to the front foyer and wait for Leonardo to come back from a minor scouting mission. She wanted to spend some real quality time alone with him on Kameko's 'secret' island.

There she could have her remaining troops trained to their fullest potential, while she worked on creating an heir to her Foot clan legacy. She had one concern.

Leo may not want to go since he didn't like being away from his brothers for too long. The island was far away from New York, he wouldn't be able to help his brethren should anything happen.

But Karai had to have an heir and staying in the skyscraper to create one wasn't working. She believed the stress of being around her unforgiving prejudiced minions was causing her not to conceive.

She had to persuade Leo to go by any means necessary. Once she had a powerful son, she, along with her robust assassin of a 'husband', would be revered and respected by their strength alone.

No one would dare try to topple them and she would make a real name for herself. An unwavering stature of sheer impressive might would be dawned upon her and her new family. She would be all-powerful and feared again!

As Karai thought up ways to convince him to go anyway, she bumped into an annoying employee that she had hoped would stay away at Area 51 for at least a year.

"Hello, Karai." Chaplin said, smiling a creepy grin at her. She frowned, narrowing her eyes and pushed past him.

"I've got those control collars you wanted." he added, pulling one out of his pocket and holding it up. He began to follow her to the foyer.

"Put that away. I'm expecting Leonardo to return and I don't want you two in the same room together." Karai ordered. She didn't see Chaplin's irritated expression and she began to leave. She heard Chaplin proceeding right behind her.

"Didn't you _hear_ me? I said I do **NOT** want you to be near any of my assassins, especially not Leonardo. I can not guarantee you won't get hurt." she said, hoping he would be smart and fear for his safety. She turned her head to glare at him as soon as she finished talking.

"That's why you _need_ to hold onto a collar! You never know when those unpredictable beasts will snap. For your protection." Chaplin purred, hinting as if she needed HIS protection and kept pushing the collar into her hands.

Angrily, she shoved him away and he narrowed his eyes. What was wrong with this woman? She used to be close to him, or so that's what he thought she was those years before.

He almost had her engaged to him then she let those animals into the organization. Curse those beasts! That Leonardo was raining on Chaplin's parade and trying to steal Karai away from him.

Why Karai favored that ugly freak of nature was beyond Chaplin and he was going to put an end to their so-called relationship.

Chaplin noted the ring on her left ring finger and knew it wasn't the ring he gave her. That had better not mean what he thought it did! Angrily, he snorted in contempt as Karai hurried away to her beloved terrapin beast.

As a baneful plot formed within his intelligent mind, Chaplin chuckled to himself. It would take some time, but he believed he knew a wonderful way to break up Leonardo and Karai for good.

But he had to be quick about completing the first stage and raced away to a forbidden area of the skyscraper, Karai's quarters.

As Leo approached Karai in the foyer, she signaled for him to join her in her private chambers. Several Foot members were going about their business and eyed the couple strangely as they made their way to Karai's room.

The snide whispers and snickering did not pass over Karai well. She cringed in discomfort, feeling shamed when she angrily forced herself not to be. She had every right to love whoever she wished.

She would not allow her minions to plague her with guilt and shame for what she was doing. Leonardo was not a lowly beast as they all thought. Karai could not get around the fact that Leo was indeed a Turtle. But she banked on that he was part man so heavily that she believed she was not committing any form of bestiality.

She was the boss here and her desires were not to be questioned whatsoever. Unfortunately she could not get her men to agree to that and the ones that stayed used her as sport for their crude remarks and belittling opinions of her.

In an upset daze, she didn't notice a control collar laying out in plain view on her coffee table. But Leo did and picked it up while Karai looked out her windows sullenly.

It had a heavy duty chain attached to it and had fairly sharp spikes inside it to pierce the wearer with tranquilizers or poisons. Breathing heavily, Leo held it up in front of Karai's face.

"What is **_this_** doing here?" he asked, his mouth dry and his voice tense. He could barely talk clearly due to the bile rising up from his gut. Donatello's warnings about Karai echoed in his mind. Don couldn't be right about her... He just couldn't be right!

Karai stared at the collar with great shock and then narrowed her eyes. He had better not DARE accuse her of wanting any use of that collar. She expected Leo to always have undying respect and complete trust in her, no matter what!

She quickly deduced that Chaplin must have left it in here. How dare he invade her private chambers! Enraged, she turned on her heel to pick a bone with him, leaving Leo to think she was guilty.

"Why won't you answer me?!" Leo snarled, not wanting to believe this was happening, but he had to. The collar was very real and the way it was engineered, easily told Leo it was created to control him and his brothers.

Karai stopped and turned to face him. She didn't want him to follow her to Chaplin's lab, he would probably attack the scientist once he learned it was his doing. Then Chaplin could say that Leonardo was rabid and dangerous and he would need to wear a collar to keep him tame.

The whole concept annoyed her greatly. Leonardo was a civilized Turtle man, not some crazed beast as Chaplin believed. But she was beyond certain that Leo would do harm to Chaplin for creating the collars and in turn, make himself appear like a savage.

She couldn't chance something like that. The walls of her fortress had eyes and ears everywhere. If her men were against her elite assassins, they would in turn become disloyal to her over time. She didn't need more reasons for them to think like that.

She quelled her harsh expression and put a hand to his shoulder, shaking her head. "You must suppress your anger, Leonardo. This is not what it seems. I am not to blame for the collar. Chaplin is." she said quietly.

"WHAT?! Why that son of a-" Leo was about to really kill that jerk when Karai pushed him back.

"Stop! This is what he wants! He wants to make you appear like a barbarous savage so he can convince everyone that you are deserving of wearing that collar..." Karai warned him and Leo forced himself to restrain his rage.

How dare that MONSTER play such a disgusting game as THIS?! He nearly lost all faith in Karai over a big misunderstanding. If he did, then Chaplin would have won! Curse him!

Karai took hold of his face with both of her hands and pressed her forehead against his. She went into a meditative state, sending a telepathic message to her lover.

Leo could sense she was trying to communicate with him in this way and closed his eyes, also going into a meditative state so he could reply. He met her on the astral plane and she held his hands.

"I want us to go elsewhere. We must get away from all these prying eyes and ears. By the end of this week, we shall go to the island where my sister Kameko tried to hide you and your brothers from Kano. Only my most loyal soldiers will accompany us so they train to their full potential unhindered. Then I will strike Kano's forces with the fury of a hurricane and destroy him utterly!" she said, filled with determination.

"I don't care what your clan members say about us. We don't have to run away, Karai. I promise I won't lose my temper with Chaplin. I'll just ignore him. There's no need for us to go so far away like that." Leo said, causing Karai to drop his hands. She stared out into the vast space of the astral plane.

"_**I**_ need to get away, Leonardo. **_I_** am tired of being burdened with such unnecessary stress. I believe that is why I can not conceive." Karai looked at him and he avoided her gaze.

He didn't want to go, just as she assumed earlier. And she knew the reason why. How could he so ridiculously attached to those siblings of his when he had her?

Karai felt a twinge of jealousy. What about her and her desires? Shouldn't she come first now that she was his 'wife'?

"Your brothers will be fine without you. Just let them go. You and I are married, Leonardo. Should not I come first in your life now?" Karai gave him a strange almost pleading expression that tore Leo apart.

He couldn't abandon his brothers...his children, could he? He promised Splinter to always look after them. But he also made a promise to Karai as well.

Actually two. The blood oath obligated him to aid Karai so she could win the war against Kano while his acceptance of her ring binded his heart to her.

He couldn't find nor give an answer since either one would break one of the promises he had made. Trapped, he said nothing and left the astral plane. She too left quickly to confront him.

He saw Karai glaring at him murderously with tears in her eyes. She believed that he would never put her first and that he cared for his brothers more than her.

He loved _them_ more than _her_! Meaning, they probably would never have a child together and her 'legacy' would never come to be.

This stabbed her heart deeply and the pain was more than she could stand. Since he valued his brothers more than her, then she would have to punish him until he started putting her first in his life.

"Karai, I'm sor-" Leo tried to say, but she unexpectedly kicked his legs out from under him. He fell hard on his right arm, landing on his funny bone. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, but they flew open as he felt something being snapped onto his neck.

Leo stared at her in disbelief and terrible hurt rage after he touched the collar around his throat. He struggling not to explode into insane hysterics.

Karai was breathing hard as she backed away trembling, while holding onto the end of the chain attached to the collar. Again, Don's voice echoed in Leo's mind. His warnings repeated over and over, making Leo feel even more devastated.

"You brought this upon yourself, Leonardo." Karai choked out, behaving as if she was going to vomit from this altercation. She was that emotionally overwrought from all this.

"_**WHAT?!**_ How **_DARE_** you say something like **_that_**?! **You're** the one who-!" Leo tried to say, but the collar automatically shocked him since it could 'sense' when the animal wearing it was getting hostile.

"If you would just forget about your brethren and concentrate solely on me, then I wouldn't have to use that collar! This is **_your_** fault! **_I_** am _not_ to blame for _any_ of this!" Karai shot back, her chin trembling as hot tears slid down her cheeks.

"I made a promise to my father to always look after them..." Leo said in a low tone, then raised it. "To care for them and to lead them! I can **_never_** abandon them, Karai! Why can't you understand that?! I can't break that promise! **_I won't_**!" Leo shouted, then got shocked again.

"You also made promises to me, Leonardo..." Karai said darkly, biting her lip as she wiped her tears away angrily.

"I know that..." Leo said softly, bowing his head as tears flooded his eyes. "No matter what answer I choose to give you, it will break a promise I made and so... I can't give you an answer. Ever..."

Karai stared at him with mixed emotions. She believed there was only one right answer and that was the one benefiting her. A husband was to put his wife first, not go back to his old family. Leonardo needed to learn that the hard way.

"You _**WILL**_ give me an answer and until you do, you will be confined." Karai told him and scrubbed her face clean before she summoned her servants to take Leo away.

As he was chained to the wall in a very small room near Karai's private chambers, Leo wept silently. He didn't have any concern that the workers could witness him in this pitiful state. He was just too upset to care anymore.

Don was right about Karai. She was like the Shredder, ruthless and heartless. He even questioned if she ever truly loved him. Had she been using him this entire time?? Leo felt as if he had been proven wrong, not just about Karai, but about everything.

He felt like a complete failure and an idiot, a silly fool too ignorant to heed the blaring warnings presented to him. He finally began to consider perhaps he had been too hard on his brothers... And that maybe his protection was in fact smothering them, sending them further away from him.

He acknowledged their loathing of Karai with a new understanding. He was certain that they must have hated him for everything he put them through with Karai.

They had every right to be resentful of him. They were right and he was wrong. So very wrong...

The room he was in had a toilet installed and a bed for him to sleep on. There was one window where he could look out and see the full moon shining. The chain was long enough for him to get to the toilet and the bed, but not the window.

It didn't matter since there was a electrified cage put around Leo's new living space. He couldn't call out since they took his cel phone from him. Leo couldn't escape even if he wanted to. He was too devastated to do anything anymore.

A day passed, then two. Karai checked up on him once a day and noticed he didn't touch any of the food given to him. She expressed her concern, but he didn't respond. He kept his head bowed off to the side, his eyes always hidden from her.

Angered that he wouldn't talk to her, she took this as a sign of real treason and she reverted back to her usually cruel self. In a hurt rage, she told him to just commit suicide and be done with it then.

He still had his katanas strapped to his back since Karai forbade her workers to take them from him. She had great respect for a warrior's need to keep his weapons as they were a part of his soul.

Karai's heartless words 'woke' Leo out of his zombie-like state of depression and made him realize that he longed to die. It would instantly end all his pain and suffering. Yes... Yes, _that_ was what he wanted! Sweet soothing death...

Delirious with a crazed mixture of grief and joy, Leo poised a blade to his chest. Suddenly, he heard Splinter say 'Stop!' as clearly as if he were in the room with him.

"Father?" Leo's katana fell noisily to the floor as he frantically searched the dark room with his eyes. There was no one. Leo heaved a confused sigh as he sat on the bed and began to really think.

Giving in to suicide would only let Chaplin win and leave his brothers abandoned. He couldn't die, not now. He still had a promise to keep for Splinter. He couldn't give in to this extreme grief.

Leo looked at the ring on his left finger and pulled it off. He held it in his right hand and made a fist as he closed his eyes and grit his teeth in distress. He finally had an answer for Karai...

* * *

Raph scowled as he watched the evening news sitting on a couch. He had been living with Mona Lisa in her apartment near the west side for weeks now.

This wasn't exactly called a supreme highlight of his life even though he was spending a lot of time with Mona Lisa now. Playing house or whatever he was doing with her felt so odd; he wasn't used to it.

Going out busting up bad guys at night, then coming 'home' to Mona Lisa in the morning so dead tired that he'd fall asleep right on the floor at the door was becoming monotonous.

He longed to be fighting along side his brothers and enjoying their company again. They were four parts to a complete whole one 'being' so to speak. He missed them intensely.

They were part of each other and without them, Raph didn't feel like his real self. He had only been hearing Leo's voice on the pay phone for so long and nothing from the other two.

He found himself having a hard time returning home to ask for forgiveness from Donnie. He didn't really know how to go about doing it right. He wasn't too good at such things like apologizing.

He had tried to say he was sorry to Mikey for expressing that he was glad Kameko had died, but Mikey didn't accept that apology whatsoever. Raph didn't get it. He meant it and took it back, but instead Mikey hated him.

Remembering all that discouraged Raph greatly. If what Donnie hated him now too? What good would apologizing do? Raph just didn't know what to think. He really needed Master Splinter's insight for this. He felt so lost.

He wished he could hear Mikey and Donnie's voices again, not just Leo's which was annoyingly uptight every time he called him. He hadn't called for two weeks due to that. He couldn't believe he actually missed Mikey's horrific practical jokes or his annoying chatter.

But what he missed more was hugging him and telling him how much he loved him. He felt the same for Donnie too. He wanted his baby brothers to look up and adore him, not hate him.

Angrily, he turned the TV off and snatched his sais from the coffee table. He had to work off this anger swelling inside him by finally finding Hun and making him pay. Mona Lisa came out from the kitchen and gave him a concerned look.

"Raphael, you're not going to look for them again, are you?" she asked, worried.

"Yeah, I am. I have to make those as-holes pay for trying to kill us both. I ain't letting them off easy, so don't try to stop me!" Raph said roughly, then softened his demeanor as he took her into his arms.

"I won't get hurt, I promise." he told her, hugging her. They shared an affectionate kiss before he pulled away. "Don't worry, I'll be just fine..."

Mona Lisa nodded sadly and bowed her head. Raph made her look at him by holding her chin up. She snuggled against his hand lovingly before he went off on his hunt.

She sighed forlornly and closed the door, praying that her beloved would return safe this time as well. As she headed for the kitchen to wash the dishes, she heard a strange sound.

Mona Lisa gasped and backed away out of sight as someone was trying to break through the kitchen window. She grabbed a large frying pan as she ducked out of the kitchen and hid behind the couch in the living room.

She heard the kitchen window being opened and closed. Whoever it was got in and she was ready for him. Or so she thought...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 27!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Who got into Mona Lisa's apartment and will she be able to handle him? What will Leo's answer be to Karai? What will Don's next test be like? What in the world is Mikey doing these days lately? Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	27. Mark of the Devil & Leo's Return 2 Grace

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.27

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
Though Splinter is not really supposed to be Hamato Yoshi (originally in the comics so I believe), I will make him Yoshi since it's more believable for the Turtles to get their human DNA directly from a real human, instead of a rat who doesn't have any human DNA to transfer to the Turtles in the first place. Plus, having Splinter as Yoshi himself gives a stronger deeper meaning of pet parent for all you pet parents people out there.  
**To know more of the story that Leo and Shredder speak about within this chapter, _remove the spaces in the link below_ to read it:  
alaerart. com / destructionofturtletrustch27addon. htm**  
Also, Dan Pennington comes from the first live action movie for those unfamiliar with this character.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Mona Lisa held her breath as she heard the intruder walking around her kitchen. She steadied herself behind the couch, ready to attack.

"Hello? Turtles? Are you still here? Raphael?" said an unknown voice. Mona Lisa didn't know what to do. Whoever it was seemed to know Raph and his brothers somehow. Maybe he was a friend? She had to find out.

"It's me, Dan. I've got to warn you about the Purple Dragons. They know that you're here! You've got to leave right away!" he cried, his tone showing great urgency.

"Who are you?" Mona Lisa asked, coming out from behind the couch. Dan was a bit startled to see the lizard lady, but got over it quickly. Knowing the Turtles helped desensitize him to anything not the norm.

"I'm Dan Pennington." the man replied, pulling out a badge showing that he was an undercover agent for the police. Mona Lisa felt reassured. She recalled Raph mentioning something about this guy before. He was a good trustworthy person.

"Is Raphael here? I've got to get you guys away from this place. My spies have told me that Hun knows Raphael has been staying here and he's going to have a bomb sent over tonight." Pennington explained.

"Oh no!" Mona Lisa cried, shocked. She knew Raph shouldn't have been hunting those Purple Dragons almost daily. Now they knew where she lived. She couldn't stay here anymore and that was a big setback.

The rent was fairly cheap and the location was somewhat decent with ethical friendly neighbors. Now Raph had inadvertently attracted the wrong crowd to this community, ruining things.

She couldn't let those Purple Dragons leave a bomb in her apartment. There had to be a way to stop them. But unfortunately, she didn't know how and Pennington insisted that they leave immediately.

"What about Raphael?" Mona Lisa was sick with worry. He didn't have a cel phone anymore so she couldn't call and warn him. Pennington assured her that his spies would contact the right people to alert Raph of the danger.

Mona Lisa wished she knew who these 'right people' were and if they would be able to warn Raph in time. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him, especially not now.

As she followed Pennington out the back, she put her left hand to her stomach and closed her eyes. She prayed the stress she was having wouldn't upset the life developing within her.

* * *

Watching the sunset within the branches of a tall tree, Donatello tried to drift away from all the new madness he was currently living with.

Don's injuries inflicted during his test had healed fairly well, just like Sara Perry said they would. His shell hadn't sealed up completely just yet, but it was getting there.

While he was passed out after receiving the healing serum, Hun's tattoo artists wasted no time. They covered the Turtle's right arm with the official Purple Dragon symbol AND Kano's purple and red Foot clan symbol.

Don was extremely upset once he woke up and discovered these marks of the devil all over his arm. This set the poor terrapin off badly and Hun allowed some of his unlucky followers to receive Don's hardly-witnessed wrath.

Hun enjoyed watching the freak beat the snot out of the new rookies in the gang. They needed beatings to toughen them up. He decided that Don would be great for testing newcomers.

Hun was tired of accepting weaklings into the gang. If they wanted to join the Purple Dragons, then they would need to hold their own against the vexed Turtle. If they survived the terrapin's onslaughts, then they were in.

Hun had to admit that this Donatello wasn't the wimp he initially thought he was. That freak of nature was actually a worthwhile member to the gang; he was a superb fighter and professional hit man to boot.

When Don refused to test newcomers to the gang, Hun came up with a way to make him do it. He said he would just butcher off the ones that didn't make it in after getting DragonFace to test them.

DragonFace always fought dirty, striking those who were down with tasers and spiked whips. The new guys often got killed that way too. Hun promised he would let the losers go unharmed if Don tested them instead. So he did...

As new recruits tried their luck in the ring with Don, the Turtle made sure not to bang them up too badly nor let many win. He didn't want the Purple Dragons' numbers to increase afterall.

Don didn't get to see Dr. Jordan Perry since he was out of the country then. He was glad though, not really wanting to see the scientist, not now at least. Not while Don was struggling with these new problems in his life.

What would Dr. Perry think of Don once he learned of his new occupations? Perry was an upstanding scientist, while Don, who was incredibly intelligent, had jobs that did not match the power of his mentality.

Being a part-time slayer and a pole dancer were not jobs Don could boast about proudly to others who he deemed to be of higher society.

'Hi, Perry! Guess what! Instead of being a famous professor, I got to be a professional assassin! Not only that, but I work in a night club as an erotic dancer! Awesome, huh?!' Don thought sarcastically, shaking his head.

No way would Perry really understand his real reasons for dancing at the hu-animal club. He would think he was a male whore or something like that instead of someone wanting to end world hunger.

Anyone looking in from the outside would definitely think Donatello was just that, a male prostitute (or whatever you would call it) just selling his body for cold hard cash. But it wasn't really like that. Not at all.

He needed the money for the equipment to build his life-saving invention. While he tolerated the adult entertainment job pretty well to the point of some enjoyment; he didn't find any joy being a killer for hire.

The dream jobs he desired were always unreachable to him, yet the ones he could get were unsavory and shallow. It often crushed him whenever he dwelled on it, so he tried not to think about it much.

He could be so much more, but he couldn't because of what he was... That fact then would remind him of how Rose 'threw him away' and caused him more distress.

Why couldn't people understand him right? Why?!

While his brothers, Raph and Mikey, understood why he danced in a bar where straight and gay people watched him, the Turtle in purple had a feeling that Perry wouldn't and judge him poorly.

And Leo? Sheesh, Don prayed HE would _never_ find out. He didn't want to think of how Leo would react to finding out that his sweet innocent little brother Donatello was shaking his shell seductively in a smoky loud night club where gay humans watched him.

Leo would probably disown Don after he killed off everyone in the night club first. Don wished he could fully retract into his shell, but since he had been mutated, he lost that natural defense to a severe extent.

He could still pull his head in pretty well, but his arms and legs could not be withdrawn completely. There just wasn't enough room inside his shell for those overly humanized limbs.

Plus, it hurt if he tried drawing them in too much. Having only forty percent of your limbs inside your shell wasn't what this ninja Turtle considered safe hiding.

He would need to hide in his shell for protection should the day of Leo finding out of Don's dancing job ever come to pass. Big brother Leo wouldn't go that far to strike his little brother while he was inside his shell, would he?

"Psst!"

Donatello was jarred out of his distressed thoughts as he heard someone whispering for his attention below. He noticed Angel at the bottom of the oak and came down stealthily. He was so quiet in his descent that the purple haired lady was still looking upwards for him as he stood behind her.

"What is it, Angel?" Don asked, careful of what he said. He knew Hun's minions were still keeping an eye on him since he hadn't been fully approved by Kano just yet.

Angel jumped a mile when she realized he was behind her then. "Jeez, oh man! Can't you make some kind of noise? You practically scared me out of my tattoos!" she cried, holding a hand to her chest.

"How do you like yours, by the way?" she added, noting the colorful designs covering Don's entire right arm.

"You know that I _**hate**_ them." Don scowled, the entire situation ruining his usually friendly nature. "_I feel like such a traitor._" He hissed under his breath, worried if he was getting in too deep here.

He had avoided his brothers and the Lair for almost three weeks straight. He did call Mikey and let him know he was alright so he wouldn't go looking for him. But he sure didn't tell him that he had 'joined' the Purple Dragons and that their symbols were all over his arm.

Angel promised not to tell Mikey or the others. She agreed with Don, that they wouldn't understand. And explaining it fully to them would blow his cover, should any of Kano's spies catch wind of it. He couldn't risk it.

"Don't worry, man." Angel patted his right shoulder. "I won't let the strawberries fall and make pink to the land." She remembered to talk in strange code just in case.

"Thanks." Don said bitterly. Angel coughed strangely and began to explain to him in code that Hun was going to send a bomb to Mona Lisa's place that night. And something equally as horrible.

Don grit his teeth so hard that they nearly cracked from the pressure. His entire body radiated with rage as he trembled violently, unable to get a grip on any sanity then. He squeezed his eyes shut while shakily taking in tight short gasps of air.

Karai put one of those control collars on Leo!!! He _**KNEW**_ that would happen! He TRIED to _warn_ Leo, but he _didn't_ listen! _Now_ look what happened! And no way was he going to let Hun's goons blow up Mona Lisa's place. No way!

"I'm sorry, Don." Angel said as she watched Don's furious reaction to the news. Then when he opened his eyes, Angel was struck by fear. That look! That was the same murderous glare Mikey had before when he was messed up. Not again!

"Yo, don't do anything stupid, ok? I mean, K-chick's pad is really heavily guarded and sh-t! You'll only off lots of people needlessly; they're not to blame! If ya gotta pick a bone, then take it up with K-chick only!" Angel said, grabbing onto Don's arm and shaking it.

She didn't want Don going nuts with bloodlust revenge too. It was scary enough with Mikey and thankfully now he was ok again.

It would be more dangerous for Don to snap. He was super smart and could create all kinds of death machines, airborne diseases, and whatnot.

"It's ok, Angel. I'm just going to fix everything..." Don said a bit too calmly, which was disconcerting to Angel.

She let his arm go and nodded. He took off running and was gone after leaping back into the trees. She wished him the best for these missions.

* * *

Leo's head drooped as he fell asleep while meditating. He found himself some place dark and uninviting. Then he recognized where he was as soon as Shredder appeared before him. They argued about truth and matters of the heart.

"Why do you hate my Master so much?! He's done nothing to you!" Leo cried, always wondering how could anyone despise his loving kind parent. Splinter was the most decent person he had ever known, always good and caring of others.

"Stupid creature! He _has_ betrayed the brotherhood we had by stealing Shin from me! He has done plenty to me!" Oroku shouted, twirling his bo spear staff and aimed it at Leo's chest.

"No... It was you who betrayed **_his_** trust, Shredder! My Master told me _that _story... I **_know_** the truth!" Leo shot back. Anything negative Shredder had to say about Splinter were all twisted lies.

As their heated dispute reached its climax, Leo drove his katana blades through Shredder and silenced that evil forever. Or so he thought. His nightmare revealed to him that Shredder's hateful spirit lived on in the woman he loved dearly.

Karai.

Her beautiful facial features were contorted with rage at him for killing her adopted father. She vowed to get revenge for her father by taking Leonardo's life and mounting his head upon her wall.

Instead the hated enemies fell in love, creating a catastrophe. Splinter appeared within Leo's bad dream and the look in his eyes told Leo what he needed to do about Karai. His words devastated his heart.

Leave her, my son. Leave her forever and return to your brothers.

Leo woke up suddenly, gasping for air as if he had been under water for too long. Leo bent over on his hands and knees, shaking as he sobbed while praying a reply to Splinter.

He didn't know that Donatello was watching him from the lone window of that room and seeing his older brother cry like that made him believe those were tears due to loss of his freedom.

To witness Leo being at rock-bottom sent Don into a powerful fury. How DARE Karai do this?! Don KNEW she had **_never_** loved his brother! He had to fix this, RIGHT NOW!

Angrily, Don smashed that window and Leo instantly looked up at him. Don rushed up to him and yanked a katana from it's sheath strapped to Leo's back.

He sliced the chain from the wall and dropped the sword to the floor. He then grasped at the collar to remove it. Leo protested as it began to shock the both of them, but Don didn't stop until he had the thing off Leo's throat.

They stood for a long time in silence, trying to overcome the shock from both the collar and the awkward situation.

"Donnie, I... I-... You... Oh, shell..." Leo swore under his breath as he hung his head in obvious shame and embarrassment. Don had every right to never let him hear the end of this. He was right and Leo was wrong.

"How long have you been chained up?!" Don cried, his voice rough and heated. Leo hung his head even lower and hid his eyes from him.

Leo came to a hard decision finally. He had to heed Splinter or else his brethren would be lost forever. He believed that Karai didn't love him, so there was no sense hanging onto a failing relationship.

"Please, Don... Whatever you're going to do... Don't do it without me." Leo said softly, then stood up straight and tall, picking up his fallen katana and unsheathing the other.

Don felt relief flood into him as Leo looked at him finally, his eyes telling him that he was ready to break the ties that Karai binded him with.

As if on cue, the brothers hugged each other tightly. Leo held Don close, pressing his cheek against his as their bond was strengthened. They pulled apart moments later, both smiling and laughing.

"I'm glad you're back, Leo." Don said, beaming at him.

"So am I." Leo replied, a bit curious to why Don was wearing a black leather jacket. It was pretty ugly, like something a punk off the street would wear.

"What's this hideous sleeve of skins you're wearing, Don? I never knew 'street punk' was your style." Leo teased, regaining his high and mighty stature.

"Well, it's uh, um..." Don tried to think of a way to divert attention away from his jacket when the room was suddenly invaded by Foot ninjas with poisonous blow darts. Chaplin had sent them in when his security systems alerted him to the break-in.

Forced to flee, the Turtles left before Karai could stop her men from firing. She reprimanded them for ruining things. Leonardo was gone now and she dreaded he would not come back as an ally.

She dismissed the feeling of being responsible for that since she was the one who put the collar on Leonardo. Chaplin was the one who really was responsible, not her. He was to blame for her losing her elite assassins!

Karai stomped over to his laboratory and fired him in front of his assistants right then and there. Chaplin refused to leave and pointed out how much she still needed him.

He showed her false scientific 'evidence' that the Turtles would still go into hyper mutation even though they had been given the 'cure'. Only he could provide the means to control the Turtles once they went into their phases of hyper mutation.

Reluctantly, she allowed him to stay because of this and truly began to fear for her safety. She could not deny that she had scorned Leonardo beyond what she dared and he most likely would want retribution now.

She could not demand that he remember the oaths he promised her since she had wronged him, but she would still try to anyway in order to save her life and the love she still had for him.

* * *

After escaping Karai's fortress, Don told Leo how Hun's men wanted to leave a bomb at Mona Lisa's apartment. Leo went into action to stop this immediately, giving his little brother much happiness.

It was like Leo was back to normal and no longer Karai's brainwashed slave of extreme stupidity. Stealthily they hunted down Hun's careless goons and confronted them on the rooftop of Mona Lisa's apartment.

"What the h-ll?!" a goon cried, then started to reach for his pistol. His pals tried to do the same, but the two brothers made quick work of the low-level goons.

One goon dropped the briefcase he was carrying after Leo kicked him in the chest. The briefcase popped open as its latch hit the rooftop.

The bomb was revealed and numbers were counting down on the timer quickly. Don jabbed a charging goon in the gut before he went to work disarming the bomb. A few crossed wires here and a snipped wire there, the task was done.

The bomb was disabled. At least, Don thought it was at first. When the timer started again, Leo grabbed it and flung the device as hard as he could up into the sky. Leo tackled Don down, shielding him from the blast.

With their ears ringing, they barely could hear the police sirens that were fast approaching. They left instantly, but about a minute after, Raphael appeared.

He had heard the loud explosion and came running when he realized it happened at Mona Lisa's apartment. He didn't know why or how the building was still standing, but there had been a fight on the rooftop. Beaten Purple Dragon goons laid everywhere.

"What the h-ll happened here?!" he cried, snatching a groaning goon and shaking him.

"No! N-no more, you freaks! We give up! Uhh..!"

Raph dropped the loser roughly and sniffed the air. His eyes widened when he thought he smelled Leo and Don. He was about to go back to the Lair, but not before checking for Mona Lisa.

When he discovered her apartment was empty, he nearly went crazy with rage. "Those d-mned Purple Dragons! They already got her and tried to blow the place up!" he cried, thinking they were torturing her.

He raced out of there and took to the rooftops, heading for the nearest Purple Dragon hideout. Leo and Don were running the opposite direction when Leo felt a rush of psychic energy to his mind.

Stop him, my son...

"Splinter!" Leo cried out so fast that Don didn't quite understand him.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I...I just heard Splinter's voice... telling me that, Raph's in trouble. We've got to find him..now!" Although Splinter didn't say Raph's name, Leo just somehow knew he was talking about him.

"Splinter? But he's gone, Leo..." Don said softly, wondering if Leo was hearing things.

"I heard what he said! Raph needs our help, come on!" Leo turned around and by chance, he caught the faintest whiff of his scent. "I've got his scent! He's going west! Let's hurry before it's too late!"

Don followed Leo close behind until he realized that they were going to one of Hun's favorite hideouts. He couldn't be seen helping his brothers attack them otherwise his undercover mission would be blown. What was he going to do now?

**To Be Continued in Chapter 28!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Will Leo be able to stop Raph before he gets himself into more trouble with the Purple Dragons? Will Don help Leo or disappear conveniently into the shadows? When will Mona Lisa reveal her 'little secret' to Raph? What will Karai do now that she has lost her elite assassins?**

**How will Don react when Rose tries to make amends with him? What in the world is Mikey doing these days lately? Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	28. Raph n Mikey Reconcile & Don Hunts Karai

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.28

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Don wondered how he was going to handle this upcoming situation. He was following big brother Leo to one of Hun's hideouts to stop Raph from getting himself mercilessly shot at by the Purple Dragons.

If he helped his brothers, then Hun would know that he was never on their side to begin with and instantly warn Kano. Then Don wouldn't be able to find Kano's hidden lairs nor be able to end this stupid war once and for all.

Don slowed his running pace on purpose and planned to hang back the best he could without Leo noticing. The Turtle in blue stood at the edge of a rooftop that was overlooking one of Hun's small operational bases, while Don stayed on the opposite end.

The Purple Dragons were going to burn this base down soon since Karai's spies had discovered it about a day ago. Hun's men were working hard moving everything out when Raph mercilessly attacked them headlong just then.

Hun's men immediately opened fire and several bullets grazed the impetuous Turtle's limbs at various areas. But that didn't stop Raph one bit as he continued his assault on the Purple Dragons.

Leo watched this mayhem unfold before him, cursing under his breath. "D-mmit! We're too late!" Leo stealthily joined the fray, cutting muzzles off the firearms to stop them from shooting at Raph.

Hun appeared, annoyed to be missing his favorite ball game playing on cable. He expected his grunts to work hard while he relaxed. Then suddenly, out of the blue, they were shooting at something like crazy. What was wrong?

"What the f-ck is going on out here?!" he bellowed, then saw Leo and Raph attacking his gang members.

"Sh-t! It's those Turtle freaks again! What are you waiting for, you maggots?! Blow their d-mn heads off!" Hun ordered, waving his massive arm to the gang members who were inside the base to come out and fight.

Don kept to the shadows as he came down to street level, wishing he could help his brothers. But he couldn't blow his cover. Suddenly, Hun's goons began to scream and fall like flies.

Karai's Foot ninja were there. They shot poison darts and high tech laser weapons at the Purple Dragons from various vantage points from the surrounding rooftops, killing many of the gangsters quickly. High and mighty Karai led her men into battle, shouting out orders to destroy them.

Her spies had been watching this base for any new development and as soon as they told her that Hun was moving out to a new location, Karai came as fast as she could. If Hun disappeared, all her leads to find Kano would gone as well.

Seeing the witch only yards away, Don couldn't hold back his rage. She hurt Leo terribly, broke his heart while making him suffer on that chained collar like some dumb lowly animal and she **WASN'T** going to get away with that!

Don sped towards her like a jackrabbit and got a hold of her by the arms from behind. He threw her into the base's front, sending her crashing into the metal wall with a loud bang that easily snatched everyone's attention.

Dazed from that instant sneak attack, Karai tried to get up, but Don was already upon her, hitting her with his bo staff as she was a piata. Everyone watched in shocked surprise and interest, momentarily halting the brawl.

Hun was very pleased with what he was seeing and became a bit more convinced of Don's loyalty to the Purple Dragons. He grinned wickedly with joy as Don mercilessly thrashed Karai furiously with his bo.

Don shouted his enraged feelings at her the entire time, telling her how he knew she was using them all along. And that she never loved Leo and now she would pay for her misdeeds against them.

Leo watched horrified, though he knew this sort of thing was coming. He wanted to make Karai pay, but not like that! She couldn't even defend herself there, even though she did pretty much deserve such a beating.

Before Leo could go and stop Don, whom he deemed was going overboard, Chaplin was magically there to do the job instead. He blasted Don with his high tech laser rifle, searing a deep stripe off his carapace and part of his sleeve on the right side.

"Get away from her, you _disgusting_ **loathsome** ANIMAL!" Chaplin shouted, going to Karai and once in her life, she accepted his help. Don was slammed into a nearby tree and slumped to the ground.

Raph kicked Chaplin in the skull for firing at Don like that and that attack resumed the brawl for everyone. The Foot ninja began shooting at Raph as well as the Purple Dragons, while Hun's men shot back at them.

Overcome by the monumental rage and stress, Don felt that horrible stretching sensation inside him. The same monstrous agony that he felt back at Area 51 had returned. He gripped his sides in agony, groaning as Leo went to him.

"Donnie?! Donnie? What's the matter with you? Talk to me, bro! Are you alright? Don? Don!!" Leo shouted at him, shaking his right shoulder roughly. He was deeply concerned for Don. The wound on his shell was definitely a serious one.

As he tried to inspect the wound further, Leo thought he saw something strange on Don's right arm. That...couldn't be a purple dragon tattoo imbedded in his little brother's green flesh, could it?

Before he could get a better look at it, Leo heard poison darts whizzing through the air coming in his direction. He turned, catching it with one hand and then ducked to avoid the other. When he turned to look at Don, he was gone.

Where did he go? Leo didn't have a chance to dwell on it as six Purple Dragon punks ganged up on him at once. Raph was plowing his way through the Foot ninjas and the Purple Dragons to get at Hun.

Don left the battle as soon as he could. The pain in his shell was almost as bad when he was attacked by the Stealth ninjas during Hun's test. He had to get away from all that agitation before he transformed.

Mona Lisa's pre-cure appeared to be only a temporary fix to his problem. If Don became too stressed out, he would start to go into hyper mutation. That was something he couldn't afford to have happen. Not now. Or ever!

'I'll make a real cure... A permanent one, as soon as I can. That's all.' Don assured himself as he hobbled his way to the base Hun had Sara Perry working at.

He would need more of that healing serum again. Then he would pay Karai a little visit to finish what he started. It might take days or even weeks, but Don vowed to make that stone-faced Karai understand how much she had hurt Leo and his family.

Much more blood was spilled before Karai finally called off her attack and made a retreat. Without her assassins to aid her, the battle against Hun was only depleting her forces. It was no use to keep on fighting; she was only losing here.

Leonardo already withdrew from the brawl several minutes earlier to look for Don, taking Raph with him. He scolded Raph relentlessly for his rash foolhardy behavior.

"Why the _shell_ did you attack Hun out of the blue like that?!" Leo cried as they searched the streets for Don. "That's the **most** _stupidest_ thing you could have done alone! You could have been killed, Raph!"

"I already TOLD you **_why_** I attacked those as-holes! You know, they had a _bomb_ ready to blow her place up earlier! What am I supposed to think when I find her apartment empty and Hun's goons on the roof? I just _**KNOW**_ those f-cked up whack-bags have her! And you _ain't_ gonna stop me from finding her either, Leo!"

"NO! I **_forbid_** you to do _**ANYTHING**_ on your own! We're a team! A family! We work together no matter what! So, help me, I'm **NOT** letting you out of my sight again!!!" Leo shouted hoarsely, about to lose it.

He was so care-worn for Don that his worries put him on the edge. So, he began taking his frustrated emotions out on Raph. If he just didn't start that brawl, Don wouldn't be missing or hurt!

Raph glowered at Leo as they continued to look for Don. He remained silent as Leo swore angrily to himself, going nuts that he couldn't find a trace of where Don had gone.

He couldn't have gone that far in his condition. What if he was abducted and being tortured somewhere? Horror images entered Leo's mind, making him think the worst.

Leo could sense Don was in dire trouble and that he needed him. He just made up with him and now this had happen. What if Don took this the wrong way and return back to being Raph's surly twin?

He didn't want him thinking he didn't care for him, which he feared Don may have thought before. He had to fix this...him, before it was too late!

A familiar smell hit Leo's snout, giving him some hope. He sniffed constantly, following Don's scent past some dark alley ways and deserted back roads. The sudden pouring rain ruined everything for Leo since he could no longer track Don's scent through it.

The two brothers were in an alley as the rain started. After stumbling towards a dumpster in defeat, Leo attacked the metal container with raw emotion.

With his knuckles bleeding, Leo collapsed to his knees and pounded the wet ground in frustration. Raph's eyes widened at this scene. He realized there was a change in Leo then, making him wonder. Did something happen to him?

The months before, Leo wasn't this involved with finding any of them. It was like he was his old self where he actually gave a crud about them...

Softening his steeled heart, Raph bent down and touched his shoulder gently. Leo stopped punching the ground and held himself up on his hands and knees.

"Leo?" Raph was open to find out what may have happened to him. That ring on Leo's finger was missing too. Raph was certain something happened between him and Karai once he noticed that.

"I-..I'm so sorry, Raph... For everything..." Leo said so softly that the red clad Turtle barely could hear him. But he did and understood. He felt a rush of deep sentiment for him. His brother had returned to them.

"Come on. Let's go home." Raph said solemnly and helped an exhausted starving Leo back to the Lair. As much as Raph wanted to find out what happened to Mona Lisa, he had to focus first and plan ahead before looking for her again.

Once at home, Leo gave him the short version of what Karai did to him, falling asleep after eating some leftover Chinese food Mikey had in the fridge. Naturally, Raph wanted to butcher Karai for using a collar on his older brother, yet he forced himself to stay calm.

He learned the hard way that his temper only made things worse. As maddening as it was, Raph kept his cool and made sure Leo was safely in his room to get some much needed rest.

Raph sighed, shaking his head. Ever since Splinter died, things were going more downhill instead of up. He wondered how Leo was staying sane through all this and felt a twinge of guilt.

He had only made things harder for his brother by being so reckless and hot-headed. Shamed, he bowed his head as he left Leo's room and closed the door.

He was startled when he looked up and saw Mikey staring back at him. Chagrined, Raph struggled mentally. He wanted to get Mikey to understand that he was truly sorry for saying that he was glad Kameko had died.

But after all this time without seeing him, it all felt awkward. He was so out of tune with Mikey that it embarrassed him. They used to be so close with Mikey happily playing pranks on him all the time and Raph beating the turtle wax out of him, a strange show of love that only they shared.

Mikey's unreadable stare made Raph feel so unwelcome and confused. But he sucked up his courage and heaved a gusty sigh.

"Mikey, look. I'm really sorry still...for...you know. I don't want things to be like this between us. I mean, you and I used to be so close. That's why I felt threatened when Kameko came along..."

Raph paused, still seeing that strange vague look in his little brother's eyes. He couldn't tell if he was taking in anything that he was saying. The red clad Turtle continued regardless.

"What I'm trying to say is that, I love you. I know you might not believe it, but I do. I always have. Always will. Ok?" Raph saw a slight change since now Mikey was staring at the floor instead of glaring at him.

"Ok. Yeah, whatever..." Raph muttered crestfallen, walking past him. Mikey looked up as his older brother went by and decided it was time to tell him.

"Raph..."

"Yeah, Mikey?"

"I forgive you."

Raph wasn't sure if he had heard him right. After being shunned for so long by him, it felt like a miracle just happened when Mikey uttered those kind words.

"...You do?"

"What? Are you that old and slow that you can't hear anymore?" Mikey teased, going over to him and whacking his shell.

"I know you're ugly, Raph, but deaf too? Tsk, tsk! For shame. You're supposed to be the older brother I look up to, not an old fart who is too embarrassing for me to stand next to! HEHEHEEE!"

"Ohh, that's it, Mikey! I am so gonna wax your sorry shell for that!" Raph said, smiling wide. Mikey shrieked playfully as he ran away and down the stairs as Raph chased him with his fists.

It felt so good to wrestle with that big goof again. Raph enjoyed the challenges only Mikey could give since he was so tough and rough as well.

Don always found excuses to weasel out of a good play-fight and he barely put much effort whenever he did wrestle with Raph. Leo took everything so seriously that he made any fun play-fight into a boring practice sparring match instead. With lots of rules of no biting, spitting, or groin kicking.

They stopped wrestling after knocking over two of their large screen televisions, the glass shattering everywhere. Amazingly it didn't wake Leo up.

That put an end to their play-fight and Raph forced Mikey to clean the mess up. Only then did the red clad Turtle notice that they had messages on their answering machine.

Mona Lisa had called to say she was fine and staying in a safe house provided by Pennington. She would come to the Lair as soon as she could, easing many of Raph's worries.

Even Donnie called, also saying he was alright and for them not to worry about him. He said he was getting medical treatment by Goodfellow, which happened to be a lie, but his brothers believed it.

In better spirits, Raph and Mikey joked around and played video games throughout the night until the morning when they fell asleep on the couch. Later that day, Leo got up and scolded himself for sleeping too long.

Sure, he had spent many sleepless nights thanks to Karai, but still. He constantly held himself to a strict discipline way of life. It involved a lot of rules and plenty of 'no's or 'do not's. No oversleeping, no overeating, no dillydallying, and do not engage in too much horseplay.

He raced downstairs to find his little brothers curled up together and he was hit with that warm loving feeling he always got when he saw any of his siblings sleeping.

As much as he knew they were only his brothers, he still felt like they were his own children regardless. He wanted to be a real father someday, but he knew he couldn't.

He believed Karai did not love him and there was no sense to have her bear any spawn for him, _if_ she could even do such a thing anyway. Leo took his engagement ring out of the pouch on his belt and gripped it hard.

Leo had made his choice. It was time to let Karai know his answer...

* * *

A full day had passed since the failed mission against Hun and Karai was still licking her wounds. The ruthless painful beating she received from the gentlest of her ex-assassins filled her with intense uneasiness. She didn't realize how deeply she was in trouble here.

She had not only scorned Leonardo, but his brothers too. Leo would not be the only one after her now. All of them would be. So, she quickly devised a plan to correct the issue she had with her ex-assassins. Donatello had heatedly shouted that he knew she had never loved Leonardo.

What a fool! She loved Leonardo more than life itself! Somehow she would need to convince the purple one of this in her own special way. But first, she needed a method on how to calm that Donatello down before he returned to attack her again.

She knew he would; she could sense it. She had countless enemies do so in the past. But this time, she would not wait for an attack. She would seek out and gain Donatello's trust.

Admittedly, it was something she should have done in the first place. She thought Leonardo's trust in her would be enough to make the others obey blindly, but it wasn't so.

No matter. She would convert the Turtles back on her side once again. She had to, by any means and by any cost. If she failed, then she would certainly lose the war against Kano and be destroyed. She vowed never to let that happen.

Chaplin had to stay to the infirmaries due to the kick in the head he got from an enraged Raphael. He was still unconscious and the doctors said he was in a coma. No one knew when or if he would wake up.

Karai grimaced in discomfort as she shifted her weight on the satin couch in her private quarters. She was trying to figure out what to do with her situation. She regretted putting the collar on Leo to force him to give up his brothers and choose her only.

If only she hadn't been so selfish and absurdly domineering, she would still have her powerful assassins in her employ. Coming to that painful realization, Karai broke down and cried. She had been so wrong.

Not only that, but she was also a rotten terrible despicable person. The devastated look on Leo's face flashed in her mind as did Don's expression of raging fury.

Then Michelangelo's disgusted expressions along with Raph's bitter glaring followed. She harmed them all horribly. There was no honor in hurting others like that.

Where did her honor go? What was becoming of her? Who was to blame? She cried more when she knew the answer to that. She was. For everything.

She had a colossal dilemma on her hands. How could she possibly persuade the Turtles to become her allies once more after what she did to their leader and them as a whole? Her confidence left her and instinctively she longed for Leonardo to be by her side to help her.

She needed his comfort and friendship more than ever. Instead, she shredded his trust and hurt him. Her ignorant pride made her turn a blind eye to her every wrongdoing.

She blamed others for her mistakes while her self-righteous nature paid no heed to anything she was responsible for. But now she could no longer deny what she had done.

She had been so ridiculously despotic, not just to her Foot ninja, but to the only one she truly loved. She felt like such an idiot for pushing him away with her crazy oppressive behavior.

He was a leader himself, yet she was trying to make, no, break him to follow her. She drove him away and she finally understood that she was the only one to blame for it.

If only she handled things better or listened with a more open-mind to Leonardo. If only she didn't revere her reputation and pride so much! If only this, if only that!

She most likely had no chance at ever winning Leonardo back. That thought alone made the entire terrible situation weigh even heavier on her shoulders.

She pressed a fist to her forehead as tears flowed down her cheeks. She was at her wits' end, with no friends to help her to win the war against Kano. She had hit rock-bottom.

Just then, strong arms enveloped her. Karai gasped in great shock. Normally, she wouldn't be this jumpy, but her usually tough state of mind was shaken to its core. When she realized it was Leonardo with his arms tenderly around her, she jerked away in shame.

"Don't!" she cried, mortified with embarrassment and confusion. He got in completely undetected, which made her stomach turn harder.

Donatello easily could do the same while she slept and then it would be all over. She hated to know what it felt like to be prey when she was so used to being the hunter...

Why was Leonardo here? To kill her? She hoped so as she now believed she deserved it. She even welcomed it. Death would be relief to this mental anguish she was suffering now.

"I'm sorry for what happened..." Leo said softly, pulling back as he stood behind her. Karai's eyes widened. WHY was he apologizing?! He didn't do anything wrong. She did! Why did he have to make her feel even _more_ guilty?

"I didn't want Donatello to beat on you like that." Leo added, his voice barely above a whisper. Karai wondered if this was some sort of sick trick to cause her more distress.

He couldn't possibly be THAT forgiving, could he? This had to be some ill form of payback on his part. It had to be! None of this made sense to her.

If he hated her now, then so be it. She wanted to be run through with his katanas and have it over with. Not be tormented more. She wiped her tears away furiously and turned to face him.

"Stop it! I know I did you and your brothers wrong! I have finally come to a realization of that! I've dishonored myself, your family, and my clan! You've come to kill me, so do it!" Karai slammed her hands against Leo's plastron, then bowed her head against his chest.

"Get it over with quickly before my guards come to stop you... I'd rather die in shame, than live with it." Karai said bitterly, not really meaning all that.

She didn't really want to die, but she couldn't stand this terrible humiliation. Plus, if she had to be killed by the Turtles, she'd rather it be Leonardo, not Donatello. Leo would make her end more swift than the very angry, avenging purple clad Turtle.

"Karai, I never got to give you my answer." Leo said, his gentle tone making her look up into his brown eyes. She felt him open her right hand and as she looked down, she saw the ring she gave him in her palm.

Shaking, she felt doom wash over her. This meant only one thing. Or so she thought. Leo squinted his eyes in anguished emotion as he ran his gaze over his raven beauty. She was too dangerous to trust ever again.

He wanted to trust her, but that collar episode taught him a valuable lesson even though his heart was begging him to just forget about that. He touched her face tenderly, causing her to quickly lock eyes with him.

"I'm sorry, Karai... But I just can't trust you anymore..." Leo's words were carried upon such a ghostly whisper that she felt extremely calamitous. That was it. Everything was over. She lost him forever.

She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, pulling away from him quickly. To her surprise, he roughly yanked her back into his arms and hugged her tightly, making it hard for her to breathe.

"I still love you...even though you don't..." Leo said shakily as if he was struggling not to shed tears. Karai was numbed with instant shock. He thought she didn't love him? She thought HE didn't love _her_!

She was overwhelmed by shame and guilt again. She did this. To him and herself. She wished she knew how to make things right between them. Her mind kept drawing blanks on how to do it, but then her heart spoke.

"I _**DO**_ love you, Leonardo! I will _always_ love you!" she cried out. Her words got him to end his bone-crushing embrace and he stared at her. His confused eyes questioned her as loudly as spoken words.

"I regret ever putting that accursed collar on you! I was possessed by foolish madness; I feared your brothers were coming between us, but I know now that I was wrong..." Karai leaned against Leo, with her forehead against the firm upper scutes that was his chest.

"Please... Forgive me, my love... I was a complete fool to hurt you like that. You and I, are both leaders of our own clans... But I kept trying to push you down under me." She shook her head as she continued.

"I no longer wish for things to be like that. I want you to be on equal standing with me. I need you by my side, Leonardo. So, please... I beseech you to remain my ally in this war against Kano... Please..." Karai begged, her heart still speaking.

Leo studied her facial expression carefully, searching for any signs of deceit. He didn't see any, but still he was wary. Yet, he gave her a tender warm kiss, which she welcomed quickly.

"I'll have to think about it..." Leo said slowly, wondering if he was making the same mistakes all over again. Give Karai an inch, she takes a mile and then some.

She said she wanted them to be equals. He had to see proof of that before he'd ever help her again. He let her know this and stressed he wasn't making any guarantees with her.

Their blood oath had been broken by Karai herself ever since she put the collar on Leo. She had promised not to hurt him or his family, but she did.

Leo was no longer bound to obey her. If she wanted any further help from them, then Leo would have to get the 'ok' from his brothers first. Otherwise, they were neutral parties.

"I have to come to an agreement with my family before I...we ever associate with you again. You must understand that my brothers come first in my life, not you." Leo's heart bled to tell her such a thing, but it was true.

Karai slowly nodded as if she was understanding what he was saying. She actually was trying to, out of love for him. You don't control people you care about, you try to do whatever you can to make them happy. She wished she realized this sooner, but at least she was trying to change.

"I will respect that, Leonardo." Karai said solemnly, filling Leo with great hope for her.

"Thank you." Leo's tone brimmed with much affection, giving Karai the courage to try and win the Turtles back to her as real friends, not as valuable employees to be used. She hoped in doing so, she would be able to earn back their trust as well.

* * *

In a special secluded room in the back of Hun's new base, the blonde giant celebrated while he conducted a private meeting with his top-ranking members of his Purple Dragon gang.

He commended Donatello for putting the hurt on Karai and hinted that Kano would be considering to test him soon. DragonFace wasn't particularly pleased with all the attention Don was getting.

He was the big shot general until Don came around. Plus, he snagged all the perks DragonFace used to get. Jealous, DF decided to make as much trouble for Don whenever he could.

After the meeting, DF went back to his duties in screening out the newcomers who wanted to join the gang. A huge man nearly half Hun's size appeared. DF 'interviewed' the guy and learned he just escaped from jail.

Why was he put in jail in the first place? He had slaughtered his wife and kids, even his elderly mother. Then he killed some more innocent people while he was on the run from the law. The guy called himself Creek and wouldn't reveal his real name for obvious reasons.

He knew how much that green freak hated to test newbies in the ring and sparked Hun's interest to make a cage match for Don to test Creek in. DK was hoping this guy would make turtle soup out of the mutant.

Hun thought the cage match was a super duper idea, but Don was still healing from the last battle. Once Hun saw Creek, he said he could join without being tested first.

DK still wanted Don to get creamed one way or another, so he began to make Creek dislike Don as soon as he could. DK made a story up that Creek wasn't really part of the gang until he did a hit first.

He pointed out to Creek where Don was staying in the infirmaries and instructed him to slice up that Turtle well. He wanted his head as proof that the job was done and never to tell anyone anything of this.

Creek entered the infirmaries quietly, holding a large machete. He wanted in this gang and if it meant cutting up one dumb animal, so be it. That was the easy part really. The current thunderstorm added for a nice death effect as well.

Meanwhile, Don was having a nightmare where he was in the last stage of his hyper mutation form and roaming the streets of New York. He hunted for more victims to fill his reptilian belly which hungered for more bloody meat.

Raging energy flowed through him whenever he tore apart another human to feast upon. He was like a robust terrapin dinosaur beast claiming his right to be mighty and all-powerful.

His male animal roots enjoyed that sense of domination while the human in him made him cringe in shame and fright. That sort of domination was downright evil!

He couldn't truly enjoy being a monster! But this nightmare was telling him just that. Becoming more agitated, Don struggled in his sleep which made Creek think he was waking up.

He brought the machete down upon the mutant creature and struck his shell practically in the same area where he was injured before by Chaplin.

Screaming in anguish, Don's reflexes made him tumble away from the threat out of bed. Creek struck again and again, but only succeeded in cutting the bed up.

Creek looked to where he thought Don had gone. He heard a strange low growl behind him and turned only to see a split-second glimpse of the terrapin warrior as he attacked. Creek's dying screams echoed down the hallways.

Don was partially in his first stage of hyper mutation then. He believed he was still sleeping and didn't realize he was actually ripping into the man until his blood sprayed into his face.

Groggily, Don stopped snapping his beak and swiping his claws at the now dead body. He stared in horror at what he had done. He didn't even know who this was or anything! But he butchered him just the same.

He noted himself in a nearby blood-splattered mirror with shock. He was somewhat bigger with bulging muscles that ached as they swelled even larger. That stretching pain hit him again and he grabbed his sides, crying in agony.

Run away! That's what worked last time. If he could get away, maybe he could calm down and stop transforming. He wished he had kept some of Mona Lisa's pre-cure on hand, but he didn't.

He heard some people coming down the hallway and that only agitated more. He hastily broke a window to escape through and leapt out into the hot pouring rain.

He was forced to sprint through some streets that had plenty of traffic on it, causing horns to blare and people to scream at him. Another twisting stretch tugged inside him. He couldn't afford to go Godzilla here!

A taxi cab hit him, but most of the damage was done to the car, not Don. The only good thing was the heavy rain which made it hard for any witnesses to be sure of what they were seeing as the Turtle passed on through.

Don panted hard as he stopped in an empty alley. Why was it so difficult to find a manhole cover?! If he could get to one, maybe he could just go back to the Lair and get the pre-cure that way too. He had some in his lab.

But then he realized he couldn't go home with his tattoos in full view. He couldn't explain them away, especially not in this condition. Don felt defeated as his body started to go into that last stage of hyper mutation.

His humanized screams were intermingled with feral roars of a poor mutant terrapin creature in agony. A concerned bunch of people in a store across the street heard the loud screams and went to investigate.

They thought someone was being attacked by something horrible. They were pretty much right. Don was being attacked by manipulated genetics, his DNA following a frightening blueprint to recreate that beast the terrapin loathed.

Unfortunately, Don didn't have his civilized mind completely. It was only vaguely there, but it might as well not be for all the good it did him. It actually gave him more torment.

Instead of being oblivious to what he did in this form, Don was now witnessing everything that he did. He had a hard time stopping these terrible urges to lash out and kill.

The pain was making him so insane that the only thing he knew to do then was to simply obliterate anything and everything. It was the only 'relief' to his current madness.

The people that came to investigate were dead long ago, all of them slaughtered in mere moments. Don's heart sobbed as he recalled what he did moments earlier. The first person lost his face with one swipe from the Turtle's claws.

The next had her throat slashed out and the last one, Don pounced upon and defleshed the head. His claws poked through the skull and he dragged the dead person up a fire escape while holding onto the head as if it were a bowling ball.

He settled on the rooftop to eat the carcass while the rain kept coming down as lightning flashed and thunder boomed. It took all his will power to stop doing that. He struggled hard to cope with the pain and forced himself to just stay still to calm down.

Standing still while hiding next to a large air conditioning unit only made him feel worse. Hot fiery surges of energy sent convulsions through him, driving him crazy. It was like he was burning from the inside out!

He had to smash something to get his mind off this terrible searing throe. Anything! A savage kick to the air conditioning unit made it blow up nicely. Breathing hard, he snarled viciously as he searched for something else to destroy.

He circled the rooftop several times on all fours as he hunted for more prey, appearing like a psychotic critter. He gripped the edge of the rooftop and saw Karai's skyscraper not too far off. Karai! She still had to pay for hurting Leo...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 29!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Will Karai survive hyper mutated Donatello's onslaught or will she be turtle chow? How will Don be returned to normal and permanently? (Be sure to see my DA art gallery for a comic page for when Don attacks Karai!)**

**Later, Leatherhead convinces Rose to follow her heart, but will Don take her back? (Assuming he's back to normal by then.) Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	29. Karai Saves Don & Rose Returns!

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.29

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter! Lots of action going on in this chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Karai was meditating in her private chambers, trying to ignore the raging thunderstorm outside her windows. When the lights went out, she became annoyed. All these distractions were bothersome to her.

When the generators didn't kick in, Karai felt uneasy. She went to her desk to retrieve a flashlight. This had better not be some sort of an attack from her enemies!

She figured it probably was and reached for the katanas strapped to her back. She unsheathed one blade and waited. Whoever it was, they were going to be sorry for interrupting her meditation.

After being 'dumped' by her beloved Leonardo, Karai was NOT in high spirits. She kept blaming herself for her short comings and the only way to get any peace was to meditate. Now, she couldn't even do that thanks to whoever was attempting to break in.

She heard a strange scrubbing sound, like wet smooth flesh rubbing against glass, at one of her windows. She shined her light there. Nothing, but rain washing upon the windowpanes.

She decided to call for her guards. The second she turned away, there was an explosion of glass shattering as the windows were broken, sending shards into her from behind.

She coolly faced the windows to show no fear, expecting to see Hun or Kano, perhaps Donatello. But she saw no one. She knew someone got in though.

She steadied her blade, shining her flashlight all around her room. Then she heard heavy labored breathing coming from overhead. She pointed her flashlight to the sound.

The bright whiteness fell upon Don, who was clinging to a support beam high above the raven haired woman. Karai felt a strong twinge of fear at the sight of him.

He had transformed just like Chaplin said the Turtles would, even though they had taken the cure. She noticed the blood smeared on his sharp teeth, giving him a baneful appearance.

Donatello hiss-growled at her like some demonic creature from Hell. Karai stood with sword ready, trying to anticipate his next move. He simply glared at her with intense hatred, emitting a strange low growl the entire time.

Although she was becoming unnerved, Karai forced herself to forget her rightful fright and played it cool. Shredder told her once you show a beast just a hint of fear, you will be not only devoured, but disgraced.

And never to be remembered, except for being a weak cowardly fool before you were butchered. She may have humiliated herself concerning matters with Leonardo, but she would not do so with Donatello.

She would redeem herself and prove to him that she was a friend. In return, she would gain his trust and he would willingly offer his strength to help her against Kano. But first, she would need to collar him, then cure him.

"Come down from there, Donatello! We must talk!" Karai shouted over the current thunder rumbling in through the broken windows. She had a plan to get him down to the labs so she could strap a collar on him for everyone's safety. Including his own.

Don couldn't talk with a mouthful of sharp teeth, but even if he could, he wasn't interested in talking with Karai. He let out a throaty eerie roar at her, making the hairs on the back of Karai's neck stand on end.

That roar was an odd combination of a beast snarling with Don's human-like screams intertwined into it. Karai found that sound unsettling. What if he was too far gone to even cure anymore?

Should she just dispose of him instead? No! She couldn't give up like that. If she was certain there was no other way, then she would destroy him. But not yet. She had to get him tranquilized and checked by her scientists first.

He came down with a loud thud and charged at her with lightning speed. She slashed at him in defense, cutting his flesh, yet he didn't bleed. His thick hide was too dense for her blades to truly penetrate in order to draw blood.

Her slashing added to his rage and made Don's bloodlust intensify. He slammed his fists down to crush her like an insect, but she dodged in time and bolted for the doors.

He jumped for her again, so eager to make her suffer that he crashed into the doors instead, breaking the hinges off the left door completely off.

Karai hurried down the many flights of stairs to the labs, all the while calling her men to avoid Don at all costs. The enraged terrapin chased after her, shrieking his extreme displeasure which shook the walls near him.

Don's crazed fury coupled together with his monstrous form made the Turtle a bit clumsy. He kept running into walls and slipping on the linoleum as he anxiously raced after his prey. Gradually, Don's civilized intellect was slipping away bit by bit as his bestial mind took a strong foot hold within him.

"Do not shoot him or confront him! That's an order! I repeat, do **_NOT_** engage battle with Donatello! He's **_very_** dangerous! I will fire _anyone_ who _dares_ to disobey my orders!" Karai shouted to her more stubborn flunkies on her intercom device.

She knew Don would easily kill the few remaining troops she had left. She had to correct this problem on her own. She had to save him. It would prove her worth to the Turtles in the end.

She entered the labs and ordered everyone out the back. She knew where the collars were kept thanks to Chaplin's constant reminders and grabbed one. She activated it and yelled at the scientists to leave now.

Confusion and curiosity made them hang around to ask questions until Don came in, crawling on all fours and snarling like he had rabies. They finally left as soon as they saw him.

Don couldn't resist the urge to chase them down when Karai got his attention by banging her sword loudly against a metal table several times. He turned to look at her and roared again, baring rows of sharp blood-stained teeth.

Karai narrowed her eyes and watched him carefully. She planned to jump over him once he charged at her again, hang onto his shell and snap the collar on.

But instead, she was rammed to the cold hard floor as he tackled her after knocking several tables out of the way first. Thrashing about, she got in a strong kick to his heavy tail and he jerked away, allowing her to escape his grasp.

She threw a smoke pellet into his face and as he hollered in pained rage, she leapt upon his shell. With sheer speed, she wasted no time clasping the collar around his throat. He roared in frustration as he tried to get the collar off and was instantly electrocuted for his efforts.

It didn't stop shocking Don since he didn't stop trying to break the device off his neck. His success was heard as broken pieces of the collar clattered to the floor. Karai frowned as she desperately tried to think of a new plan quickly.

There were tranquilizer darts in a case across the room, behind Don. Karai narrowed her eyes. She knew what to do. With her adrenaline pumping, Karai raced at Don. He roared and charged, ready to disembowel her.

She distracted him by throwing a katana to his face for him to block while she dived under him, past his legs. But his long tail whacked her in the head as she slid by. She crashed into a bunch of overturned tables and chairs, pain momentarily blinding her.

As she struggled to will the agony away, she didn't know her wallet had been pushed free of its holder on her belt. It had fallen open with a photo of Karai with Chaplin and Rose. It was taken during the time when she was considering marrying Chaplin for real.

Karai had forgotten about that photo and never took it out of her wallet. Don made his way over to Karai and he noticed the photo. Seeing Rose there made his civilized mind resurface and he backed away, feeling horrible.

He looked around himself, realizing the destruction in the room was his doing. With Rose's face fresh in his mind, he felt as if she was watching him even though she wasn't actually there.

Ashamed, he stood frozen while shaking his head. He had to get back to the Lair to cure himself! But as soon as he thought of trying to do something like that, he felt his mind slipping away again.

A series of darts pierced the right side of his face and neck suddenly, the shock and pain enraging him once more. But Karai kept shooting at him with more tranquilizer darts as quickly as she could.

She felt great relief when Don finally fell to the floor and was still. Sighing, Karai tossed her head back get her messed up hair out of her face and called for her men to come with a cleaning crew.

She retrieved her katana and used the blade to poke Don cautiously. He didn't stir or react to the jabbing so she was confident he really was asleep.

A look of pity befell her face as she shook her head. As she listened to Don's ragged breathing, she felt sorry for him, even though he was attempting to kill her. She knew why he was so upset. He really wasn't the monster here, she was.

But she was reformed and understood the Turtles better than ever now. Befriending them was the only recourse to make things right between them.

She knew what she needed to do now. She would personally make sure Don was cured permanently and convince him she was not the same bad person she used to be. And through him, she would win Leonardo back...

* * *

Elsewhere, Rose was working in the labs located in a different skyscraper that served as a secondary command center for the Foot Organization. She was resuming the work she owed Karai.

She tried to keep her mind on her work, but her thoughts kept returning to what that mutant crocodile man had told her back at Area 51. Leatherhead had seen how dreary she seemed since Donatello left the unclassified military base.

She felt partly responsible for what her brother had done to him. Chaplin had given poor Don the anti-cure which forced him to transform into a mindless savage.

She had a chance to stop her brother, but she didn't. Witnessing her beloved Donatello as a vicious beast haunted her. She had terrible nightmares afterwards of hyper mutated Don chasing after her.

He would always catch her and yell at her for breaking his heart and all this turmoil was her fault. Then he would kill her and she would wake up screaming.

She could have prevented all this madness by stopping her brother in the first place. She felt very guilty since she didn't want Donatello to suffer so much pain due to that hyper mutation process.

As soon as she knew that Don started out as an animal, Rose began seeing him as an inferior beast instead of the 'man' she loved. She was disturbed that she had been deeply in love with an animal all this time.

In her family, she had been brought up to keep very separate lives from animals. Her brother Chaplin didn't care for them nor saw much worth in them, except for using them in experiments, usually not humane ones.

Rose never really thought about whether or not animals had feelings or even if they felt pain on the same scale as humans could. They were just mindless living organic 'machines' basically. That was what she was brought up to believe.

After meeting Don and falling in love with him, Rose thought she had found her one and only at last. Instead, she later discovered that he was a product of an accident.

He was an animal transformed by human DNA to become a new species that should never have come into existence.

How could she have fallen for an abomination of nature, a freak AND carry his child? What did that make her? Less of a human? A freak too? She was horrified beyond all belief.

Then when he was gone, she slowly began to question her beliefs on these insignificant creatures known as animals. Enhanced with human DNA, Don was able to express himself on a level humans could understand well.

Rose learned from Don that animals indeed had emotions and suffered pain the same as humans did. Not that _that_ made animals human, it just meant they were not those mindless inferior organic machines as she first thought they were. She was wrong to label Don as such.

What had he ever done to her? He was kind and loving, giving his all to her while she did nothing to help him as her brother gave Bishop the anti-cure to experiment on poor Don.

The only 'crime' Don had done was being a turtle. And she realized that couldn't really be seen as a negative thing. It wasn't bad or evil that he was a terrapin.

He didn't ask to be mutated or to know what it's like to be human. And feel human emotions. Besides the guilt, she felt pity for Don. What was he really? She had to ask herself, pondering these things over and over.

He was a 'lowly' reptile given a chance to become a sentient being with the gift of extreme intelligence. How could such a mutated animal be so perfect at behaving like a human?

He couldn't truly be human like her, or was he? That was what she needed to decipher one way or another.

Don saved her life and removed the fetus that almost killed her. She never even said thank you. She was worse than a barbaric animal, while the real animal appeared to be more human. Feeling like a heel, she was depressed and confused.

Leatherhead noticed this and questioned her to why she looked so down. She vaguely told him why. As she talked with Leatherhead, she realized how civilized this mutant crocodile was as well.

The croc-man's feelings were fragile and he told her how painful sorrow was to his kind, especially to those who were not mutated and without a voice to defend them.

He made tea for them and Rose couldn't believe how good it tasted. Maybe she shouldn't be thinking of animals as lowly creatures anymore...

"You humans can not hear our pain, because we can not vocalize it. Do not think only you can feel this emotion known as deep sadness." Leatherhead paused to sip his tea with the greatest of manners. Rose was amazed. He was not a barbarian as Chaplin and Bishop had told her.

"With my kind, everything is much worse. No one is there to comfort us. And because of my kind's unfortunate savage nature, those who fall prey to sorrow are seen as targets to be eaten. The strongest survive while the weak perish."

"You have no idea how deeply we understand these emotions. They provide our survival in a sense. If we are too upset to carry on, we will find ways to end our suffering through death."

"Joy, anger, sorrow... They are _not_ simply human emotions, they are feelings we as all living beings feel. My kind's perception for these emotions are on a much higher level that you humans could never reach. We don't have the sins of man clouding our eyes to the true feelings deep inside." Leatherhead stopped again to sigh as he shook his head.

A vision of Donatello entered his mind then. He looked so devastated when Leatherhead told him the fetus had been killed. He wished he knew how to help him back then.

But maybe now, he could help him by opening Rose's eyes to how much she hurt Donatello. She appeared to want to know besides, which gave Leatherhead hope.

"What I'm trying to say is that you severely aggrieved Donatello. I understand that you do not want to be involved with bestiality, but this is different. Donatello is not simply an animal, he is human too."

"Same as me, he and I gained so much when we were mutated. We were no longer mere reptiles; we became human. With human emotions and thoughts. I was lucky to be blessed with so much intelligence, but Donatello is far more gifted than I." Leatherhead closed his eyes to smile as he gently shook his head.

"But he's still part animal... I don't know if I can accept that..." Rose said, feeling uncertain and strange.

She thought maybe she wasn't fond of Donatello enough to truly love him, but as more time passed without him, she felt lost without him. She didn't want to yearn for him believing it was wrong, but she did regardless.

Even though she now knew that Don was a red-earred slider terrapin before, her heart missed him. Her brain said no while her heart said yes. She didn't know what to do. Confusion and guilt plagued her.

"And he **_IS_** part human also. Doesn't that count for anything? I don't think it's fair to be prejudiced against my mutated brethren like that. We never asked to be what we are nor to be mutated... It was you humans who created the means to change our lives with those mutating chemicals."

Leatherhead began to feel annoyed. Again the humans wouldn't take responsibility for the terrible wrongs they committed to his kin! He had to state this for the sake of his kind who remained voiceless.

"I hate to be frank, but why don't you take responsibility for what you have done to us? You _made_ us part of your kind, yet treat us still as lowly ignorant cretins when it is YOU who are thus!" Leatherhead said loudly, gritting his teeth. He stifled a snarl and forced himself to calm down.

"I'm terribly sorry for raising my voice. I'm just so upset that a kind soul like Donatello had to go through all the torment unnecessarily. He's decent, innocent, and compassionate. He'd never hurt anyone, but yet so many hurt him. It's...unjust."

The croc-man heaved a loud long sigh, then decided this was the best time to ask a certain question.

"I must know... Do you still love him?" Leatherhead looked over the young woman to see the answer in her eyes.

Rose avoided the Leatherhead's wise eyes quickly, but then slowly nodded her head. The croc-man nodded back in understanding.

"Then you should go to him. Ease his suffering. My friend...no, my brother doesn't deserve such emotional turmoil in his life."

Rose returned to New York soon after she talked with Leatherhead. She was gradually coming to a conclusion. If she wanted to be with Donatello without facing the same complications as before, she would need to alter herself.

Cautiously, she was injecting herself with reptile DNA secretly and analyzing the results every step of the way.

As long as she could change the genetic makeup inside her body without developing any reptilian features on the outside, she would deem her private experiment a success.

At the beginning of the fifth week, Rose developed a bump on her rear end and realized it must be a tail trying to grow out. She was becoming more green as well which she hid with a lot of foundation, concealing her new emerald flesh tone.

By the end of the sixth week, she stopped injecting herself when she discovered scales forming on her budding tail. It was time to find Donatello and let him know that she still loved him.

It would be ok to be with him now since she had 'joined' his species in a way. Don was a half-human reptilian creature and now so was she. That should fix any bestiality issues hopefully.

She wished she had done this sooner, but renouncing the beliefs she had been brought up on was not that easy to do. Plus, she had to be sure of her feelings first as well. Now, she was.

* * *

During the fifth week of Rose's experiment was when Don attacked Karai in his hyper mutated form. She had him safely hidden in a secret sector of the skyscraper while her most loyal scientists did their best to reverse Don's advanced mutation problem.

She had forbidden them to speak of word of this to anyone, especially to those loyal to Chaplin. She knew they would do something to harm Don and if he survived, he would be after her all over again thinking she was to blame.

So, Karai fiercely protected Don in order to prove herself to his brotherhood. She spent sleepless nights as she kept watch personally. Her scientists were not allowed to leave the skyscraper until they cured him completely.

The scientists were able to destabilize Don's advanced mutation over time and he slowly returned back to his regular form over a week.

They said they could have made such happen sooner, but an instant transformation would have put so much stress on poor Don that it may leave him insane. They believed a slower transformation would help keep his mind sound and healthy overall.

Karai observed Don closely as the days passed and he was returning back to normal. It would be at least another day before they could chance waking him up and discover how he fared.

Sleeping off and on had taken its toll upon Karai and as she took her usual short nap, she fell into a deep sleep instead. An odd dream filled her mind's eye. She was with Leonardo, who was grown, but his brothers were young hatchlings.

They were on an island somewhere and having lots of fun as a family of all things. Michelangelo was playing in the sand, making pizzas and laughing. Leo was telling him to be careful of the tide coming in.

Karai was holding both Donatello and Raphael in her arms as if they were her own children. Raph got fussy, so she handed him to Leo to hold. Raph socked Leo in the chin with his foot, causing Leo to drop him.

He chased after him as he ran towards where Mikey was playing. Karai laughed and cuddled Don sweetly, tapping his small beak fondly. Don happily nuzzled her and even gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Karai woke up suddenly when she heard Don groaning loudly while struggling against the restraints strapping him to the operating table. She glanced at the clock on the far wall and gasped. She had slept throughout the night and half of the morning!

For some reason, her scientists were not in yet. Where were they? She decided to tend to Don in the meantime. He had made a mess since one of the staff members didn't attach the waste bag to him properly.

Don slowly came to while his body cried in confused pain. It wasn't super horrible, but he did ache pretty badly. He felt someone wiping his tail and looked. When he saw that it was Karai, he fiercely tried to get free.

"Karai?!" Don shouted, his voice rusty and scratchy. "Why do you have me strapped down like this?! You! You-...!"

He stopped talking as he remembered. He was that horrible monster again. No... He felt sick to his stomach as the memories of when he was hyper mutated flashed to him one by one. He wished he couldn't remember them, but he did.

Devastated by his recollection, Don bitterly wept with his teeth and fists tightly clenched. He was so SICK of being a mutant! He just wanted to be normal and have a normal life by being a professor at a university somewhere. Not be plagued with these out of control mutations.

Did a real permanent cure even exist?! What if it didn't? Don rather be dead than live out a long life always dreading when he'll transform into that monster again.

"Calm yourself, Donatello." Karai said as soothingly as she could. "My scientists have been working on curing you for the past week. They returned you to your regular state slowly to ensure your sanity. A faster transformation would have ruined you."

"I'm _already_ ruined!" Don shouted, pounding his fist against the table. "Ever since you came into our lives with all your d-mned bullsh-t!"

"Not one thing has gone right since you've come! Your 'cure' did nothing for me the first time; _**WHY THE H-LL SHOULD IT THE SECOND TIME?!**_" Don screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I suggest you stop being so emotional. I do not want you to become stressed." Karai said, attempting to finish her cleaning job on his tail. Don protested instantly.

"Quit prodding my tail, you insane Jezebel!" he complained, writhing. How dare she violate him!

"You don't want me to be stressed?! HA! That's hilarious! What's your next joke, Queen of Comedy?" Don scoffed, his sorrow overrun by acrid sarcasm.

"Silence!" Karai barked sharply. "I understand why you hate me so, but I'm trying to make amends for my misdeeds by helping you! If it weren't for me, you'd already be gunned down!"

"I'd rather _die_ and rot in a ditch than accept ANY help from you, Karai! Everything you do for others ALWAYS comes at a price!" Don shouted, then lowered his voice to a hateful hiss. "And I'm _not_ buying..."

Karai figured it was best to not reply as she continued to wipe his tail and legs clean. He growled irritably, squirming about and making the job harder.

Why was Karai playing nursemaid to him like this? She wasn't his mommy or anything remotely like that! It reminded him of how Leo babied him and the whole concept REALLY disgusted him immensely.

"Your stupid wiping is unnecessary, Karai! I can take a shower, but I guess since I'm your prisoner; that's out of the question, huh?" Don glared angrily at her, his eyes thin slits.

"You were never a prisoner here, Donatello. Not before. Not now." Karai said matter-of-factly.

"Then let me go..."

"I certainly would, but my scientists have not arrived yet to make sure you are fully cured. I can't bear to lose any of you to that advanced mutation. It is a disease in my eyes and I must cure you all from it." Karai said, doing her best to speak her true selfless intentions to one so distrusting of her.

"Save your brainwashing speech! I _told_ you I'm **_not_** buying _any_ of your lies! It's obvious why you won't free me... I _am_ your prisoner." Don said bitterly, closing his eyes since he was nauseous at the sight of her.

He quickly opened his eyes when he felt the restraints on him loosen. A slight consideration crossed his mind in favor to her, but it was dashed as soon as it came. Just another trick for her to win him over. Well, she could just forget it!

"As I said, you Turtles are never a prisoner in my home. Do as you please. But know this. My love for your brother Leonardo is eternal. I love him with all my heart and soul." Karai said solemnly, her head slightly bowed.

Don was shocked by what she had said. You don't put control collars on those you love! She was such an audacious liar!

"You **_NEVER_** loved Leo, Karai! **_He_** was the one who loved you, unfortunately. But YOU sure didn't love HIM! You only USED him so you could _use_ the rest of us! That's **_NOT_** loving someone!" Don shot back, making Karai look at him intensely with hurt.

"Despite what you think, I **DO** love your brother! I'd give my life for him! And you!" Karai yelled back, hating how her emotions were coming to the surface. But maybe it was for the best. Perhaps having Donatello witness her raw emotion may prove to him that she wasn't a heartless monster.

"_Pfft_! Oh, come on, Karai! Why would an insensitive 'person'," Don pulled his index fingers down twice as he said 'person' to emphasize himself better. "like you give your life for anyone? You're selfish, cruel, and your only motive in life is to use others!"

"I admit that I have done much wrong in my life. But now, I've changed. I want to redeem myself to you and your brothers by any means necessary. All I'm asking for is a chance. Please." Karai said truthfully.

Don studied her critically. He didn't see any deception in those usually cold eyes. He sighed in displeasure, frowning.

If he denied her a chance when she really wanted to change for the better, then what would that make him? He had to be careful all the same, just in case.

"Alright, one chance. But if you do anything to betray us again, that is it. Forever." Don said, making his point clear. Karai nodded, feeling hopeful. This was a start.

"Very well. I will do everything in my power to prove myself to you Turtles. I truly want to make amends with your clan. Tell your brothers that." Karai told him. She figured he would depart now and she would have to wait until her next encounter to continue proving herself to them.

Instead of bolting for an exit, Don went back to the operating table and sat on it, surprising her. What did this mean?

"Didn't you want to leave?"

"I'll let your scientists run their tests before I go. I want to work on my own version of the cure as well. Providing you'll let me do so, that is..."

"Whatever you need, it is yours. I want us to be friends, Donatello. Not enemies." Karai said.

"We'll see about that." Don answered. He still didn't trust her, but he would give her a chance. Once she blew it, then he'd have more fuel to convince Leo not to trust her, should he ever be swayed by Karai again.

The only good thing about his latest hyper mutation situation was that it had somehow 'erased' his accursed Purple Dragon tattoo. Now it looked more like a strange dark twisted bruise going up his arm.

In some places, the tattoo had been undone even. The Foot symbol survived his transformation, but it was severely blurred and could easily be mistaken for an oddly shaped scar or burn mark.

Karai allowed Don to have free access to all her laboratories, even ones not at her main base. For days, Don worked tirelessly. Karai had to force him to get some sleep and that usually involved them getting into shouting matches.

"How many times must I warn you?!" she yelled, annoyed how stubborn he was. When Don wanted or needed to do something, not much could stop him.

"Every being **needs** sleep! You can _not_ stay up for over _thirty_ hours nonstop! You _must_ rest! It is for your own good, Leonardo!"

She inadvertently called him by his older brother's name more than once before, which irritated Don immensely. She had better not start seeing him as Leo for real and ask him to wear a blue mask or else...

"**Karai, for the millionth time, I'm NOT Leo!**" Don shouted back, his eyes red and tired. After a short heated glare, he turned back to his work again.

"Everyone knows, I'm a lot smarter than him." Don grumbled under his breath, his lack of sleep making him cocky and sarcastic. "Oh, tell me, please! Why is that? Hmph! I never fell for cruel back-stabbing lying user like you."

Karai heard his hurtful words and restrained her swelling ire. She had to make amends with Donatello, not fight with him no matter how much she wanted to.

"Fine, work until you destroy yourself! Your end will make your current labor meaningless! For the sake of your brothers, allow your body some rest!" Karai scolded and left him alone.

Don tried to continue working, but decided a small nap couldn't delay him much in finding a permanent cure. He settled back in his chair, which was very comfortable and nodded off.

Much later, he jerked out of deep sleep and the first thing he wanted to see was a clock. To his horror, he had slept more than ten hours. He felt as if he had wasted too much time and immediately went back to work.

Soon, he discovered that the labs in Karai's skyscraper lacked certain ingredients he needed to start making a cure. But with some fast research, he found what he needed in the labs at Karai's secondary command center.

He got the address and headed out. He met Karai in the hallways and naturally she asked him where he was going to in such a hurry.

As soon as she learned that he wanted to go to her other command post, she called her scientists there to be prepared. Not everyone was used to giant talking mutant Turtles afterall.

She ordered them to show Donatello great respect since she wanted to win him over as an ally and his intelligence would be beneficial to her scientific team.

Not that she was using that as her main focus to befriend him. She truly did want him as a real friend as she finally learned the true value in such. She wished she had learned sooner before she severely scorned the Turtles.

She didn't want Don going there on an empty stomach and convinced the hungry terrapin to some breakfast. The moment he finished, he was gone.

Unwittingly, Don was rushing to the labs where Rose worked at. He was pleasantly surprised and happy with how courteous and respectful the scientists were to him compared to the last ones, whom were rightfully fearful of him.

He didn't mean to scare those people, he couldn't help it back when he was hyper mutated and losing his mind. The scientists here treated him as if he was a normal human colleague and that really pleased him immensely. It felt good to be accepted.

But that joyful feeling disappeared quickly once Rose, who was late for work that night, entered the room while Don was holding a vague introductory meeting with the other scientists and their assistants.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Dr. Weinter. The traffic is to blame...for..my..tardiness..." Rose slowed her speech the moment she saw Donatello. Feeling awkward, she shied away and joined the back of the crowd.

"That's alright, Dr. Chaplin." Weinter said, waving off her lateness. "Karai has a new project she wants us to work on immediately. Dr. Hamato was about to explain to us what it exactly was before you came in. Go on, Dr. Hamato."

Don was trapped. He didn't want to explain 'the project' with Rose there. The scientists here weren't aware that the medicine he needed them to work on was for his hyper mutation problems, not some wonder drug to cure baldness.

If he defined it out with her there, she would find out that he was still changing into a beast. A monster. It was the most humiliating thing she knew about him.

She couldn't accept him for being a mutant Turtle, let alone a mindless terrapin beast of death. It made him feel wretched and worthless. And THAT made him feel angry and sad all at once.

Nauseated with hurt and rage, Don made an excuse to leave temporarily. He went to the rest room and splashed water on his face, then clutched the sink in distress. _What was he going to do now?_

"Donatello?"

Don was so distraught that he wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings so Rose was able to 'sneak' up on him. She was looking at him with a curious hopeful stare which he found incredibly odd.

Wasn't she terrified of him? Why did she follow him into the men's room? The same question came to him again. What was he going to do now?

**To Be Continued in Chapter 30!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
What will happen between Don and Rose? Will they make amends and get back together or have a bitter ending? And what about Cleo? Will Karai be able to regain the Turtles as her allies and befriend Donatello?**

**If the cure Karai gave the Turtles failed for Donatello, will it fail for the other Turtles as well? Will Leo stupidly go back to Karai over time like the love-sick sucker that he is?**

**Now that Casey's an officer of the law, will he be hard on the Turtles for the murders they commit and how will that wear on their friendship? When will Mona Lisa reveal her 'little secret' to Raph?  
Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance in the story with the real cure to the Turtles' hyper mutation problem. This and lots more!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	30. Casey the Cop & Raph Forgives April

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.30

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

"What are you doing here?" Don finally said after a long moment of silence. Rose cringed hearing the furious edge in his voice. She knew she had hurt him terribly and she should expect him to be very upset.

"I work here." she said quietly, trying to find the right words to start making amends with him. But she couldn't find them. The situation was just too awkward.

"You know what I mean... You're not supposed to be in the men's room. Leave."

"Don, I wanted-" Rose started to say, but the words got caught in her throat when he viciously glared at her.

She was taken aback by his fierce wrathful stare, then felt her heart break with guilty sorrow when she noticed wetness forming at the corners of his narrowed eyes.

"**Why** are you _still_ here?!" he shouted, trembling with hurt emotions. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to blink them back while his fists tightened.

"But, I need to tell you something..!" Rose tried again, but couldn't get the words out right.

"Save it! I'm _through_ having my heart broken by you, _alright_?! **Just _leave_ me alone!**" Don cried, bowing his head as he bent over the sink, struggling to stop his tears.

"Donatello, please, I... I-" She faltered and failed again.

"According to you, I'm just a filthy imbecilic animal and you just can't stand to be with me, remember?" Don snapped, glaring once more.

"No! I-"

"What do you mean '**_no_**'?!" Don cried, misunderstanding. "It was **YOU** said those disparaging things!"

"I was wrong to say such falsifications!" Rose shouted back, fighting hard to raise her soft voice.

"**_What..?_**" Don hissed, not sure if he heard her right.

"I was wrong, Don. About you and everything... I-...I came back to New York, because I wanted to find you again...to...to tell you that-...that...I still love you..."

Don couldn't believe what he was hearing. Rose still loved him??? HUH?! He thought she hated and feared him and wanted nothing more to do with him because he was a lowly animal thing.

Was this really Rose or some android Bishop sent to torment him with to see if it could make him hyper mutate? She sort of smelled like the Rose he knew before, but that could be a trick too. The scent wasn't hundred percent correct after all.

"Who are you?" Don asked, feeling very disturbed and distrustful.

"What do you mean?" she asked, becoming confused and worried. Don decided to inspect her more closely and took hold of her left arm, squeezing to check for a metal interior.

"Ouch!" Rose cried, wondering to why he was crushing her arm. Don let go in shock, quickly realizing that this person really was Rose in the flesh. Not some android sent by Bishop or anyone else. It indeed was her.

And she said she still loved him! A jolt of joy sprang from his heart, wanting to take her back like a gullible fool, but then he remembered Cleo. What about her?

Also, he couldn't just easily forget all the hurtful things Rose had said before and disregard how poorly she had treated him. Was it wise to take her back or even forgive her? Did she deserve a second chance or not?

"Sorry." Don said for the arm crushing bit. He was not one to get so physical, but he had to be sure that she wasn't a robot. Although Rose was troubled by that strange aggressive behavior, she forced a smile regardless.

"It's alright. I'm the one who should really be apologizing. I want us to be like how we were before I...made my mistake and said those horrible things to you..." she said, putting her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest.

When he didn't hug her back, she looked up at him with confusion. Don's exasperated sigh worried her. What if he no longer loved her anymore? That just couldn't be!

"It's not that easy, Rose." Don told her as she pulled away, her abashed feelings heating her cheeks to a rosy hue.

"When you mercilessly 'threw me away', I moved on and I found someone else who appreciates me..for me. She sees me as perfect while you do not." The deadly serious expression on his face alarmed her instantly.

"**No!** No, no, no!" Rose cried, unable to accept that he had a new girlfriend. Especially not after she had been altering her DNA to better suit his extremely rare species.

"You don't understand, Don! I _still_ love you! I always did before too, I just was afraid! But that doesn't matter anymore, because I've been injecting myself with reptile DNA for over a month! I really want to be with you, Donatello!"

"You've been what?!" Don cried, shocked.

"Look!" Rose went to the sinks and washed away her foundation, revealing her green tone. She pointed out the slight webs growing between her fingers. And she mentioned the scaly tail sprouting from her behind.

"Now, I'm like what you are, Don. It's alright for us to be together and we can have children without complications." Rose told him excitedly. Don's downcast expression concerned her.

"What's wrong?"

"When I performed the operation to remove the fetus from you, I was forced to do a hysterectomy..."

Rose swallowed hard, feeling foolish. She had thought her missing periods were due to some sort of side effect since she had carried Don's anomalous spawn.

"If I didn't, you would have died." Don added testily, hating this whole situation. He didn't want to remember that the fetus, no, his son was dead. Plus, why did Rose have to come back, especially now when he was having hyper mutation issues?

"I understand, Don. Thank you for saving my life." Rose answered. Don made a face filled with hurt disgust. NOW she says 'thank you' for that after all this time? WOW!

"Rose, you shouldn't have altered your DNA... I loved you for who you were, not what you were..." Don said after another long agonizing moment of silence. He was trying to make a point here.

"After you told me to get out of your life, I considered altering my DNA as well. I thought if I was completely human, you'd take me back. But then I thought of something else." He paused and stopped staring at the wall to look at her.

"Why should I change myself to better suit someone who can't accept me for what I am?" Don stared her down, finally able to 'pick that bone' with her. Rose avoided his eyes and attempted to make their conversation see some positive light.

"That's no longer an issue with me, Donatello. I-" Rose tried to say, but he interrupted her.

"It shouldn't have been an issue in the first place!" he shouted, swiping his arm out in an angry gesture. Then he moved to the sinks. He grasped the edges of one and leaned forward, with his head bowed.

"I...sigh...I know it's wrong for humans and animals to love each other as lovers. I comprehend all that. But I'm **not** _JUST_ an animal, Rose! I'm human too, just like you!"

"There are humans out there who love their pet animals so much that they see them as their own children...even though they aren't really..." Don thought of Splinter as he said this.

He was searching for true love similar to Splinter's, yet he also wanted love that a man shared with a woman too. It had to be a genuine deep love that he could share with his one and only mate, an unconditional love.

Splinter had loved the Turtles unconditionally. His love was everlasting for them; there were no conditions that needed to be met. He loved them as is, no matter what. Don wanted that kind of true love from his mate.

So far, Rose didn't have any proof that she had this type of love for him. She couldn't just come back and say now that she was part reptilian he had to go with her.

He had long proven his love to her already. Now it was her turn. IF she had anything to prove to him that is...

"I wondered if you even really loved me. I asked myself that so many times while I cried my heart out..." Don straightened up and looked her directly in the eyes. This time she didn't avoid his glare.

"I DO love you, Don! I was just afraid before, that's all! I'm not anymore! I know now that I can't live without you!" Rose cried, reaching out and touching his arm.

He moved away roughly, rejecting her gentle touch as he stared into the mirror before him. He did his best to block out what he believed were lies from a heartless human.

"Please, Don... I'm so sorry for hurting you. I truly am! I don't deserve to be alive; I owe my life...everything to you. I treated you so horribly and I want to make it up to you." Rose said confidently.

She noticed Don's empty stark expression in the reflection of the bathroom's long mirror and felt her boldness fading away quickly. Wasn't he even listening to what she was saying? His silence made her feel even more meek and uncomfortable.

But when he left without another word, she felt devastated. Did she make a mistake by changing her DNA? Don seemed to have a new girlfriend and he was too hurt to take Rose back. He didn't have to either, she realized with much sadness.

Rose wanted to find out who this new girlfriend was at all costs. She wanted to win Don back somehow and she was very curious to what this new girlfriend looked like and who she was.

What if she was a bad person and not fit for Don? Rose didn't want him to be in the hands of a woman who possibly may not love him and only want to use him instead.

Don was incredibly intelligent and that new girlfriend might be using his smarts to make something horrible and blame Don in the end when people get hurt from it, whatever it may be.

Though this wasn't true, Rose believed this was so and wanted to 'save' him. She left the men's room and tried to get back into the lab. But Dr. Weinter noticed her entering and ushered her out.

"Huh? Why are you forcing me to leave, Dr. Weinter?" she asked, confused to why her boss was making her get out.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Chaplin, but Dr. Hamato does not want you working on this project. You're forbidden to come to this area until it is finished. I'm sorry, but you need to go upstairs and continue working on the A-kline project instead." he told her.

"But that project is unbelievably monotonous!" Rose complained, but backed down as soon as she saw her boss' stern stare. "Yes, sir."

Sadly, she went upstairs to do work on that silly A-kline project, which was something the scientists worked on casually to impress some no-name business. Rose had to come up with a new product that would sell well in the wine community.

She wondered if the new project Don was getting Dr. Weinter and his team was something Don's new girlfriend wanted created. Perhaps it was a new weapon of mass destruction!

Rose began to make up and believe all kinds of assumptions, labeling the new girlfriend as a villain. She HAD to be evil! She MUST be. Rose just _had_ to 'save' Don from her.

She wished she could convince Don that she really did love him and get him to stop working on 'that weapon', but how? Words obviously didn't work. Maybe gifts would? She decided to try sending him gifts to prove her feelings to him.

She wanted to talk to Karai to get a raise in her pay. Only the finest, most expensive gifts would do to show her appreciation to Donatello. Rose couldn't wait for her chance to impress Don and win him back.

Until she got that raise, she decided to spy on Don and behind his back be there to 'save' him once that evil girlfriend tried anything sinister. She would also find out what she could on this new project Don wanted done.

Maybe once she 'saved' him from the new girlfriend's evil clutches, he might be more open to listen to her when she presented her lavish gifts to him.

* * *

In the Lair, Leo was having a serious meeting with his brothers about whether or not they should continue to aid Karai in her war against Kano.

Mikey said yes, though his reasons were only so he could have a chance at destroying Kano himself. Raph said no, not wanting to give Karai another chance to use them.

Leo was leaning towards helping Karai again, but didn't voice his opinion, knowing Raph would blow up from it. He had to hear Don's vote for this before saying that he favored to team up with Karai again.

Although he didn't trust Karai, he was still deeply in love with her. His heart longed to have her by his side once more, but his better judgement warned him to be extremely wary of her.

Nevertheless, Leo knew they couldn't neglect their daily katas and managed to get his little siblings to train, much to their dismay. Mikey rather be writing more chapters to his SuperQuest fanfiction than exercise for hours on end.

He tried to ignore Leo's burning stare as he continued to type on the laptop. Raph purposely tuned out to what Leo was saying in order to watch a gory monster flick.

Watching movie-magic violence somehow calmed the maniac Turtle down, putting him into a pacifying 'world' where he actually enjoy himself for once. Actually any world without Leo nagging him to train was heaven to Raph.

"Come on, you two! Get off that couch and get into the training room! NOW!" Leo shouted, turning the televisions off and taking the laptop away.

"You d-mned motherf-cker! It was just getting to the good part!" Raph roared, hating to be torn away from his 'happy place'. Mona Lisa said she would come back to the Lair, but she hadn't so far.

She did call him several times, but she seemed distant as if something really important was on her mind. Raph tried a couple of times to find out what it was. Every time he did, she would find a quick excuse to get off the phone suddenly.

Noticing the strain on their relationship filled the red clad Turtle with much hostility. He lived with Mona Lisa in her apartment for weeks and they became so close that Raph thought that they were like husband and wife.

Now she was acting weird and it upset Raph terribly. He almost beat himself up with 'what-if's', but he put those stupid 'what-if's' out of his mind.

If Mona Lisa no longer wanted to be with him because of the trouble that followed him, then so be it. Raph couldn't make her stay with him if that was the real reason why she was being so indifferent to him now.

He was just sick of having his heart being 'warmed-up' and then stabbed with an icy mattock. That was why he vowed to never love again. It was just too painful to go through.

There seemed to be an inevitable breakup no matter what. Raph deemed it official; his love life sucked dinosaur eggs. Big time. That was why he was more moody than usual to his brothers these days.

"Well, you can get to an even better part and get your tail in gear to do some training!" Leo yelled, kicking his leg out to knock the remote from Raph's hand before he could turn the televisions back on.

Raph watched the remote crash into the wall and break apart, the batteries scattering. He glowered at Leo before giving him their version of 'The Finger'.

"I know you want to beat the shell out of me and you can do it while training. So let's go!" Leo baited him and Raph took it, only because he wanted, no NEEDED to give his older brother a good smackdown.

"You too, Mikey. You can write your story some other time. Now it's time to train. I'm sure you want to be at your best when we encounter Kano again. Right?" Leo said, hoping to bait him too. It wasn't easy to get any of them to train.

"Yeah, yeah." Mikey grumbled, reluctantly putting his writing muse on hold.

The orange clad terrapin warrior trudged to the practice room where Leo told them to do a thousand push-ups before they did a thousand pull ups. Weigh lifting was after that, then their katas. THEN sparring with weapons and without! Ugh!

As Mikey watched Raph and Leo spar, though it looked more like an all out fight. Raph took all his frustrations with Mona Lisa out on Leo mercilessly.

When Raph tried to break Leo's arms as he held them behind his shell while he had him flat on the mat, Mikey had to get him off. Leo demanded to know what was bothering him so much, but Raph didn't want to tell them that things weren't going so smoothly between him and Mona Lisa.

So he told them he was still annoyed over what April accused him of doing to May and they seemed to buy that quickly. Sympathetic, Leo stopped getting on his case over the arm breaking move and announced the next stage of their training.

While they were sparring without weapons, Leo observed Raph and Mikey's fighting styles when Casey and April appeared out of the blue.

"Casey! April!" Mikey cried, happy to see them after so long. April hugged Leo, then Mikey. Raph stayed on the mat, avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, Raph! It's us!" Casey called, waving to him. Raph scowled and turned his back to them. He was still hurt by April's allegations. She was someone his heart yearned for, his first love and crush all in one.

Thus anything she said to Raph, he listened well and often took to heart. So when she accused him of harming May, her words slashed through him and caused his soul to bleed for months.

How could SHE of all people blame him for doing _anything_ negative towards her or her family? Especially something as sick as that! He truly loved her and let her go to be with Casey.

He'd never do anything to hurt April or Casey. But they believed their lying brat over their long-time friend. Raph knew why. It was because they were humans and since May was their kind and Raph wasn't, they believed her instead of him.

Raph couldn't help being prejudiced like that, well species-wise that is. If the humans band together (like he believed April and Casey did) and do not appreciate the kindness Raph has given them, then he drifts into a racist mode of thinking.

Good-for-nothing humans! They don't care who's truly the 'good guy' or what's really right or wrong. They just make up whatever they please like gutless cowards who can't take reality for what it is.

They always have cop-out explanations and ridiculous rules and ideas, only fit for THEIR stupid kind. If Raph was still a normal turtle and treated poorly by humans, he would instantly dislike them and never trust them.

This was a natural way for most animals to think about humans. But now that he was a half-man reptilian mutant, his normal animal instincts were altered into a form of racism.

He was the type of critter who did not take anything lightly. If he was scorned, he didn't see much sense in forgiving those who hurt him. Why allow them another chance to hurt him by forgiving them?

To Raph, trust and loyalty meant everything to him. If any of those things were jeopardized from the people whom he thought were trustworthy, then he would quickly 'blacklist' them in his heart.

Leo often made it on that list, but since he was his brother, Raph would take him off it once they made up. He could forgive his kind with much more ease than he could with humans.

April and Casey were on Raph's 'blacklist' currently, especially April. They would have a shell of a time trying to get themselves off that list...

Raph's mental wounds were fresh even after all this time. He was mostly angry at April, not so much for Casey. He did try to consider that May was lying, but April never did. She went up to him and touched his right arm.

"Raphael, I'm sorry. I didn't-" April tried to say, but he stormed off in a huff. Leo sighed, feeling bad. They had forgiven April, but obviously Raph hadn't.

"I'll talk to him." Leo said, coming up behind April. She shook her head. "No, I have to. This is between me and him."

"I'll go with ya." Casey said, but April shook her head again.

"I've got to do this alone, Case. He's not upset at you. He's upset with me. I did say some pretty nasty things and I've got to make it up to him."

Casey watched his wife go and sighed. It was hard not to worry about her. Mikey offered him some nachos and he accepted quickly. Leo deemed it alright to have a snack and followed them to the kitchen.

They exchanged stories of what had happened to them lately. Casey proudly told them that he was now a bona fide police officer for the NYC. Leo and Mikey admired his shiny metal badge and congratulated him for this achievement.

"So, what's it like being a real cop?" Mikey asked, sucking down one cheesy nacho after another.

"It's great! I take down scum daily and get paid for it too! April and I don't argue about money no mores." Casey said happily, then remembered something. It was something that made him feel bad, but he had to discuss it with the Turtles.

"There's just one problem... Kinda a big problem." Casey said seriously, grabbing their attention. If it made Casey act serious, it must be big.

"You see, you guys told me about how you helped Karai out with fighting against Kano's men, right?"

"Yeeeah, so...?" Leo asked, confused to where this was going.

"Well, yous killed people, right?"

"That's what happens in war. People get killed." Mikey said bitterly, thinking of his beloved Kameko. He may be over that whole ordeal, but he wasn't going to be perky about it either.

"We had no choice, Casey. It's kill or be killed." Leo explained.

"I know, but now that I'm a cop, I gots a duty to uphold the law and I ain'ts allowed to turn a blind eye to all this killing stuff no more." Casey hinted.

"What are you saying?" Leo inquired slowly, not liking where this was heading. Not at all.

"I'm saying, I wanna know where Karai, Kano, and Hun are hiding out so I can bust them each and everyone of thems. You can'ts go killing people no more. Ya gotta report them to me so I can put 'em in jail instead." Casey replied.

Immediately, Leo was against that. Well, the reporting Karai part, that is. The court easily could find her guilty for murder, larceny, arson, affiliations with multiple gangs, and tons of other crimes. They probably would give her the death sentence.

He didn't want Karai to be put to death like that, even though she deserved it. She was trying to make amends for her bad deeds. The courts would never understand or allow her to do it her own special way.

Even if they didn't give her the needle, she would get life in jail. Leo didn't trust himself not breaking her out of jail either. It would only get them into more trouble.

Leo couldn't bare to have his love locked up in a cage, even though she did such to him already. Freedom meant so much to them both. Even if she made bail, she would be publicly known as a dangerous criminal for life.

The blue clad Turtle hated to be reminded that he was deeply in love with a felon. It made him feel dirty, yet he couldn't help keep his heart chained to her.

He couldn't imagine being with anyone else besides. To him, she was the perfect mate...as long as he overlooked her obvious criminal flaws. Plus, Karai's so-called 'squeaky-clean' reputation within the high society would be destroyed.

While the high society was just as unlawful as Karai was, they would outcast her as low dirty nefarious scum just to make themselves look more ethical publicly. If that happened, then she would lose her contacts and contracts.

Karai needed those connections within that society to keep her 'business' afloat. She provided jobs for thousands too, even if it was dishonest work, it still fed those people's families. The image of starving children sealed his decision.

Leo couldn't snitch on Karai; she was too much of an important link to the lives of others. Including his own. He couldn't break that 'chain of survival' nor the one that tethered his heart to her.

"I'm sorry, Casey. But I just can't agree to that."

"Dude, you gotta! It's the law!" Casey cried, feeling doom wash over him. He feared it would come to this...

"No. It's the human law, not ours. I don't mind telling you what I know about Kano and Hun, but I can't for Karai. Please don't ask me to. I simply can not do it."

"How comes?"

"She wants to make amends with us. I want to give her that chance. It's the only way she can truly change for the better. I don't want the courts to sentence her to death or locking her away for life, Casey. I still love her."

"Jeez-whiz, oh man!" Casey cried, leaning back in his chair with a hand to his forehead. He paused and thought up a compromise.

"Ok, how about this? Yous tell me about what Hun and Kano are up to and don't get involved with Karai no mores. I'll leave her out of things and you guys won't be liable, so as long as you dudes aren't helping her in any way, shape, or form criminally, k's?"

Casey felt strange as he saw Leo and Mikey exchange glances that easily told him that they weren't going to agree to all that like he hoped. It was the best compromise he could come up with!

"Oh, come on, you guys! Yous _can't_ go around helping crime lords kill people! It's wrong!" Casey sighed and began to get frustrated. "Look, I can'ts let you guys go out killing people no more, ok? It's my _job_ to stop cold-blooded murderers!"

"Is that what you think of us, Casey? Cold-blooded murderers?" Leo asked in a miffed tone.

Casey decided against saying yes, even though it literally was true. They were cold-blooded and they were killers. But they weren't bad, as strange as that sounded.

"What about the dudes in the military that go to war and murder people too? **_They_** killed people, but the police aren't trying to bust their butts..." Mikey pointed out, trying to say that they were like those types of people.

"Yeah, but those guys have no choice...-" Casey said, then understood, though it still felt incorrect. A gang war wasn't the same as a country war, was it?

"Exactly. They have no choice and neither do we. I'm sorry, Casey, but if Don's vote favors Karai, we're going to help her against Kano again. And I won't be delving any information to you on her. You'll have to find evidence against her on your own." Leo said, getting annoyed over the whole subject.

"Aw, man!" Casey cried, seeing his bonus check flying out the window. While Casey wasn't shallow for wanting to do things only for money, he had a family to take care of.

He wanted to save for May's college fund and buy a house so they didn't have to live in that small apartment forever. But without any inside info from the Turtles, he had nothing on Karai.

Her lawyers could get her out of anything easily. Casey's boss wanted hardcore evidence against her, but Casey couldn't get it. He couldn't threaten to take the guys in to the station either, they were his friends.

And they were mutants. The whole squadron would be upon them, ready to shoot them down or have them sent off to some lab with a bunch of eager scientists wanting to dissect them.

Casey didn't know how or when Leo fell head over heels in love with Karai, but he wished he didn't. It only complicated things between them and his new duty to up hold the law.

After a long tense silence, Casey reluctantly gave up for now. He didn't know what to do really with them. If he by chance witnessed them killing anyone, he would have to stop them, but how?

It was something like with bears or other large animals; if they killed people, then they had to be gunned down. Casey didn't want that. But he couldn't allow them to keep on killing...could he?

For the sake of their friendship, he might just have to. They weren't bad guys, just unfortunate soldiers pressured to murder to stay alive themselves and to keep the peace. Was his loyalty to them or to the police force? He just wasn't sure yet.

* * *

"Raph?...Raphael?...Raph?" April called about through the maze of abandoned subway tunnels, exploring them with her mini flashlight. She checked most of Raph's favorite brooding places, but he wasn't in any of them.

She didn't realize that Raph was hiding from her as she searched for him. He was debating if he should just show himself and have a talk out with her.

He wanted to tell her how much he was hurting inside because of her allegations against him. But he would have to tell her about his secret crush on her as well. Though his brothers knew of it, she never did.

Raph didn't know that Don had revealed to April that they both had crushes on her and that she already knew of his so-called secret fondness for her.

Lost in his emotions, he accidentally made a sound and April turned her flashlight to see him just several feet away. He gave up trying to hide again and expressed his defeat with a disgusted scowl.

"Raph? Were you behind me all this time?" she asked, surprised. He squinted his eyes as he shifted his weight crankily. He wished he knew the right words to say in order to explain himself without appearing like a grade A loony.

"Why were you hiding from me?" April gave up trying to get answers and heaved a gusty sigh. "I'm really sorry for the things I said to you all those months ago. I was so wrong to accuse you like that. I should have known you'd never do anything like that to May..."

"Yeah, you should have." came the tight testy reply.

"Donnie told me about how you had feelings for me ever since we first met... I never knew you liked...loved me in such a way, Raphael. I felt even more guilty when he told me all that..." April said, raising Raph's irritation to new heights.

Don **_TOLD_** April about his secret crush on her?! Why that sneaky little bastard!!! He wasn't supposed to tell ANYONE that secret! He thought he wouldn't either since Don was in the same boat as he was with having a crush on April too.

But no! He told her anyway! He was nothing, but a freaking tattletale! Raph couldn't wait to beat the shell out of him. And keep _beating_ him. And **_beating_** him. Until he was broken and lost as Raph was feeling right now.

He had his eyes pinched shut as his fists trembled at his sides while he thought of many hateful things about Don. His eyes flew open as he felt April's hands upon his cheeks. He gasped, tense raw emotion clawing his insides.

She kissed his muzzle before hugging him close, burying her face into his neck while stroking the back of his shell. He numbly let her as burning tears threatened his eyes. Then April's teary apology filled his ears.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Raph. So so sorry." she said shakily, wet droplets dampening the left side of his neck. "For everything..."

As her body was wracked with pitiful sobs, Raph was touched by her emotions causing compassion to flood into him. He was convinced that her regret was genuine.

Slowly, he began to forgive her as he squinted his eyes tightly shut, overcome by all this sentimental drama. How could he not? He may be at times prejudiced against the human race, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he still cared for some of them.

Especially April.

He was hit suddenly by what Leo had told him months ago, that they were human too and they owed so much to the humans for their intelligence.

Raph realized it was the humanity in him that made him forgive April. Not many animals forgave the ones who hurt them, except maybe domesticated dogs, but even they had their limits in trust.

If he was still a regular turtle, he'd probably never trust humans again if they ever harmed him. As a mutant, he could find it in his heart to forgive IF he saw true repentance first.

He feared April was like 'those other bad humans', the ones he busted in the streets. But thankfully, she wasn't and he was so incredibly grateful for that.

A strong tight embrace from Raph suddenly told April that he accepted her apology. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders finally. She didn't have to go on beating herself up over this anymore. It was finally over.

The red clad Turtle relished to have April in his arms like this, although he kept his heart in check. He couldn't be caught up in his fantasies. April wasn't his, she was Casey's.

Mona Lisa was supposed to be Raph's lover, though he wasn't too sure anymore. He had to see her in person and find out what was going on with her.

Raph and April returned back to the Lair where Casey was waiting for them. Before they left, April handed the Turtles an apology letter May had written.

Leo read the letter out loud and once he finished, the brothers were fairly convinced that May was indeed sorry for slandering them and would never do so again. She promised to make it up to them someday, somehow.

But she was too ashamed to ever face them again, which she stated in her letter. She felt she didn't deserve to know such noble people since she was such a terrible person lying about decent beings.

Leo didn't know when their paths would cross again, but he knew he would tell May she wasn't a terrible person. She repented for her misdeeds and deserved a second chance.

The Turtles knew they would most likely outlive April and Casey and even their children. They would run into May again someday and hopefully, it will be on better terms than before.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 30! (Wow! For once a chapter _without_ a cliffhanger!)  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Raph tells Leo where Don works due to him telling April that he had a crush on her (a touchy secret he didn't want her to know about).  
The carapace scutes will fly when Leo discovers his little brother shaking his shell at the hu-animal club with his own eyes, turning their relationship for the worst! Will Don be disowned and kicked out of the family?**

**Once Rose and Cleo meet, how will Don keep them from ripping each other apart?**

**Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
When will Mona Lisa reveal her 'little secret' to Raph?  
If the cure Karai gave the Turtles failed for Donatello, will it fail for the other Turtles as well?  
Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance in the story with the real cure to the Turtles' hyper mutation problem. This and lots more!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	31. Leo Discovers Don's Secret Job

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.31

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**ReviewNote: I plan to continue censoring the swearing here to cater to those who dislike swearing in fics. The comic book version of this story will not be censored, so go to my DA site for updates on it if interested in seeing the uncensored version of this DoTT fic. Thank you for your understanding. :)  
Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Thankfully, April and Casey's visit caused Leo to get out of 'training mode' and they could rest. Raph finished watching that gory violent horror flick before going to his room.

As he tried to head for his room, Raph's attention was caught as he passed Mikey's room. The door was open and he had a clear view of Mikey's computer screen playing an indecent movie without the sound for obvious reasons.

Intrigued, Raph went in to watch and convinced Mikey to turn those speakers back on...

Leo was already in his room, ready to meditate. He vaguely wanted to make his brothers train a bit more, but the conversation with Casey had boiled him up something fierce. If anything or anyone threatened his beloved Karai, he would instantly become upset.

He loved her and she loved him. No one should dare get in their way. Leo wasn't much different from Raph with anger issues, it was just Leo could control his rage better and one of the ways he did so was by meditating.

He cleared his mind to a complete blank as his legs went numb from sitting cross-legged. Soon he no longer could feel the physical sensations of his body. He enjoyed that detachment from his flesh so his spirit could roam free on the astral plane.

Being away from his earthly body and surroundings helped his rage evaporate. He often remained in this trance-like state for at least an hour or two before returning to the 'flesh' as he called it.

Leo was lonely without having Karai there to share the astral plane with him. He missed her and making love to her as well. Any form of it would be carnally healing.

He did away with such wanton desires and concentrated on making himself more at peace. He didn't want to make himself uptight with terrible lust and have no safe way to relieve himself.

Solo relief was much too lacking unfortunately, especially since he had experienced real alleviation to such desires. Focusing about only clean tranquil things eased Leo into a deep contented state, calming him.

Time seemed to go quickly for the blue clad Turtle warrior as came back to his physical body. He painfully stood up, punching his legs to get the blood flowing back into them.

Then he heard muffled, yet loud sounds of intense pleasure coming from one of his brothers' rooms. Mikey and Raph's enthusiastic comments could be heard as well. It was obvious that they were watching porn.

Almost instantly, Leo's starved desires rekindled his lust, which angered him intensely. His body burned for relief, making his meditation session a complete waste.

He couldn't go over to Karai's skyscraper just for sex. That would be simply undignified and degrading. Not to mention embarrassing as all shell. He grit his teeth.

Leo's brothers were to blame for this disgraceful state he was now suffering. And he was going to punish them for it! He stomped over to where he heard the commotion and entered Mikey's room.

They were ogling at Mikey's computer screen at some NC-17 rated movie playing in the DVD-rom drive. A busty black haired lady was having some naughty fun with her boyfriend as they skinny-dipped in a lake at night.

The lady looked way too much like Karai and it bothered the blue clad Turtle due to a memory he inadvertently remembered.

Months ago, when they were on Kameko's 'secret' island, Leo had made love to Karai in a series of pools where the largest waterfalls were.

Naturally, Leo claimed that choice area to be his private place; his own personal territory which he clearly marked with both his swords and scent.

Leo's brothers all had their own personal territories as well, just like how they had their own rooms at the Lair. It was obvious what Mikey did with Kameko at his personal area. The same could be said for his other two siblings and their lovers.

Leo missed those waterfalls and pools, which he actually could visit again, but he couldn't leave his brothers behind. They were needed here.

Still, Leo did long for those warm waters again. They were perfect for him to express his desires to his beloved lady. They often went to the pools at night to fulfill their lascivious fantasies in complete privacy.

Leo could easily remember Karai's beautiful bare form and all its seductive essence. That image of Karai intensified Leo's shameful lust while that filthy scenes of the black haired lady made him explosively angry.

It was like his brothers were watching 'Karai' engaging in unspeakable acts upon 'another man' and were snickering about it. Of course, that wasn't so, but that's how Leo felt about it. He lost his temper then.

"_**SHUT THAT D-MNED FILTH OFF!!!**_" Leo roared, causing his little brothers to jump.

"**Jeez!** Leo! You scared us out of our shells!" Mikey cried, turning the flatscreen and speakers off hastily. Raph scowled, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Aw, man! Now I gotta wait AGAIN to see how _THIS_ movie ends!" he complained, disgusting Leo more.

"That garbage was some screwed up movie?" he asked angrily, believing it was simply a baseless porno at first. It sure sounded like one!

"Yeah! The lady you just saw is Kally and her main man is Henry. But they struggle against their families who are trying to break them up all the time with threats of death and destruction! It's really an awesome movie." Mikey explained with much fan gusto.

He held back more of his fan-boy gushing when he saw Leo's murderous glare. He didn't like that movie. That plot was too much like what was happening in his own life with Karai. It annoyed him something terrible.

Mikey pressed a button on his tower to get the DVD out to return it to Raph. It was his afterall or so he thought. After they had watched a real porno show, Raph quickly went to his room to give Mikey this movie about Kally and Henry.

He had 'borrowed' it from Don's movie collection weeks before and was going to return it, someday. Mikey assumed it was Raph's when he shoved it into his computer for them to watch.

As the red clad Turtle took the DVD, Leo glared at him greatly appalled. "So it's yours?!"

"What? Nah, it's really Donnie's if you need to know. I'm just borrowing it." Raph explained. Leo snatched the DVD from him and shook it at his younger brother angrily.

"How _**dare**_ you lie like that! Donnie would **_never_** watch such trash!" Leo shouted. Out of all his brothers, Leo could trust and rely on Don the most. Don could best relate to Leo since the blue clad Turtle was the most intelligent out of the three remaining siblings.

Don even told Leo so, which made him very happy and proud. To have a genius tell you that you're smart was a great honor. So Leo believed he knew Don very well. Afterall, the purple clad Turtle always told him everything.

Or so he thought...

"_**What?!**_ Are you _brain-dead_, Leo? Donnie enjoys smutty flicks like we all do! H-ll, he dances his butt off at this night club practically every d-mn night!" Raph shot back, surprised that Leo would think Don was some sort of saint.

Raph and Mikey both knew how jaded Don had become over the months. He was almost like a different Turtle, but they accepted the change because he was their brother. They couldn't make him stay a 'goodie-goodie'.

"He does **_not_**!" Leo snarled as Raph yanked the DVD back. "How can you accuse of Don behaving so despicably when it's not true?"

"But, Leo," Mikey chimed in, turning around in his chair. "Donnie does dance at a night club. It's on the eastern side."

"But that's where the worst gang organizations are..!" Leo cried in disbelief.

"Yeah and there's a lot of gays there too. They're all watching our dear baby bro shake his shell seductively for cold hard cash. You know how much Donnie loves money." Raph said meanly, soiling Don's character on purpose.

'Leo always thinks dear sweet lovable Donnie is a decent sucker who can never do wrong while he believes I'm the bad egg in this bale. Well, he's in for a rude awakening!' Raph thought, ready to punish Don for running his beak off to April about his secret crush.

In the back of Leo's mind, he recalled how much Don wanted to take charge of their finances whenever they had any. Leo let him because he knew that'd be one less thing he had to worry about.

Don was the only one he trusted to do the duties Leo didn't care to do or couldn't do. But Leo was concerned. Don was overly eager to care for their finances and it was hard to get any of the money back whenever they asked.

He seemed to like controlling that part of their lives and it was unsettling to Leo. At first, he overlooked it, justifying Don's 'greedy' behavior as thrifty and economical. He didn't want them wasting money; that's a good thing.

But what if he was really just hoarding their money? Even embezzling some of it behind their backs? Leo shook his head. NO! Don wasn't shallow like that. He was good, decent, and upstanding like how Leo saw himself.

He had trained them all as did Master Splinter did to be respectable, noble, and incorruptible. While Mikey was downright mischievous and Raph ridiculously recalcitrant, Leo couldn't see Don being anything remotely like them.

And homosexuals were at this night club too? Leo didn't want ANYONE viewing his little brother dancing around erotically, that is IF he's actually doing that. He didn't want to believe Don could be like that. At all!

And Leo wouldn't believe it until he directly saw it with his own eyes. He told Raph so which irritated him like crazy.

"Leo! Don really IS dancing at that night club!" he cried, too encumbered with stunned disgust to convince him better.

"Prove it." Leo said darkly, refusing to believe that Don, the only brother he really trusted, could be a dirty male prostitute.

"Then come this way, O' Fearless Leader, for the shellshock of your life." Raph said, heading for the door. "I'll show you exactly where our dear baby bro sells his body for cash."

"Stop it, Raph! I won't have you trash-talking Don like that. Just take me where this night club is and I'll decide for myself." Leo said heatedly.

"Sure thing. Just be ready to wash your eyes out afterwards. It's pretty X-rated where Donnie sells his shell, er, I mean where he works at." Raph replied, half-smiling. Two birds with one stone. That's what this was.

Leo would finally get his eyes opened while Don would get the nagging of his life. Payback never tasted so sweet!

* * *

Mikey turned his flatscreen monitor back on to type more on fanfiction of SuperQuest. He added a romantic love scene between the white knight and a raven haired princess, which he deemed to be himself and Kameko.

He posted his latest chapter and within half an hour, he had thirty reviews gushing about how beautifully he wrote out that love scene. It wasn't hard since he was simply writing about how things were between him and Kameko.

Pleased, he started an entirely new story which he noted in the author notes was based off a true story. Time passed quickly as Mikey wrote his heart out about Kameko.

He didn't bother to change the names and included every juicy detail, though keeping it more romantic than smutty. The last time he had seen Kameko was on the shore where they made love in the sand with the waves washing over them.

That was the most healing experience he ever had and his feelings of it easily helped him create a masterpiece love story. He would need to tweak it and have Don proofread it before he posted it.

Don didn't care to proofread Mikey's SuperQuest fic, so he had to hope for beta-readers to aid on that. Many didn't mind his mistakes on the SuperQuest fic since he was such an astounding writer.

"Maybe I should publish my stories someday..." Mikey thought wistfully. He had many original stories laying about, many of them very good. Even Don said so, who was his hardest critic. Mikey bet Karai could help, with all her crazy connections.

He thought about how to approach her on this without looking silly or stupid when the old phone downstairs rang. He raced down the steps to answer it.

"Talk to me." Mikey said, noticing a bunch of stale pretzels on the rug in front of the couch. He stretched the phone's coiled wire to reach those yummy treats and got them, then happily ate each and every one.

"Mike? It's me, Angel."

"Hey, what up? I tried calling you on your cel phone, but some as-hole trash-talked me when he picked up. What's going on?" Mikey rolled his tongue around in his mouth to gather the lint he took in with the pretzels.

"Yeah, some dumb jerk-off snagged my phone. I'd get it back myself, but he's DragonFace's best dork in command. I'll get in trouble if I take back my own phone." Angel explained.

"Angel, why don't you just leave the Purple Dragons? I'll protect you." Mikey offered, not happy with how the PD's treated their own. It was downright disgusting. Even the Foot were treated with more respect by Karai.

"I can't leave them, Mike. As crazy as it sounds, I'll be worse off without them. If I was on the streets wearing my tats with no posse to back me up, I'll be fair game to other gangs easy. I can't get my tats removed, no cash to. If I ever try to leave, they'll only kill me and you too." Angel said into the corded phone that DragonFace let his underlings use.

Unfortunately, Hun was listening in the entire time...

"All I want is for you to be at Fifth and Main in an hour. The bastard who stole my phone will be there. Knock him out and get it for me. I'll meet you at the usual." Angel thought she heard someone coming down the hall, so she had to hang up.

"Gotta go, bye!" Angel placed the phone back on its hook and sighed. She hoped Mikey would help since she didn't get to confirm that with him. She casually went through the hallway to do her duties when Hun appeared before her.

"Oh, hey there, big guy." Angel said nonchalantly, hiding her fright well. Hun was the one guy she didn't want to mess with. He was like a demon to her.

"You will address me as Master, Angel." Hun said, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Got'cha, Master Angel." she teased, winking and pointing her finger at him as a gesture. She turned to leave when DragonFace and his dork buddy named Smoke appeared out from nowhere and grabbed her.

"Hey! Lemme go! What's the big f-cking deal here?!" Angel shouted, struggling against her captors.

"You won't be laughing when that freak comes looking to get your phone back." Hun sneered, sending alarm through Angel. Oh no! Poor Mikey! He'd be heading for a trap and she inadvertently set it up!

"Let's all be ready to greet him. We wouldn't want him to leave 'empty-handed'." Hun said, grinning evilly. He ordered about a fifty of his men to come along.

Since Cleo had 'rights' to Donatello, Hun couldn't get him to attend. Whenever Cleo needed Don, she got him because he 'belonged' to her. Hun didn't care much, since there weren't any newbies wanting to get in the gang lately.

He and his goons dragged Angel to Fifth and Main which was a street corner for his men to patrol for new recruits and sell drugs. Mikey was already there, waiting for DF's dork to appear, but instead tons of Purple Dragons were there.

And Angel was tied up and gagged, slung over Hun's shoulder. As they stood around, Hun touched Angel inappropriately, making her scream and kick. He suggested that they gang-rape her until the freak showed up.

Her muffled distressed shrieking struck Mikey hard as Hun dumped her to the pavement as if she was a bag of garbage. He instantly wanted to kill Hun and his goons.

**How dare they want to hurt her like that and treat her like she was worthless trash?!**

DF's dork buddy, Smoke waved Angel's phone in her face and rubbed it against her groin in a disgusting manner. She growled and kicked him in the face with foot. He swore and ordered his buddies to punish her.

Instantly, Angel was kicked in the head for her efforts by two goons simultaneously, making her unconscious. Smoke was about to cut Angel's jeans off with a knife when a short pole of wood caved in his skull.

Hun barely could blink before ten of his men were taken out and more were being brought down as the seconds went by. He attempted to snatch Angel back into his huge burly hands when Mikey stood over her, shoulders heaving.

"**BACK OFF!!!**" Mikey roared, so much in rage that he didn't acknowledge the strange stretching sensations inside his body. He kept having a terrible urge to kill every single one of them, even Angel. He shook his head.

No, that wasn't right. He wanted to save Angel, not kill her. What kind of whacked-out crazy feeling was that anyway? Dismissing that hyper mutation warning sign, Mikey flung his nunchaku back at another goon who tried to attack him from behind.

"Oh, so the freak has a whore he wants all to himself, eh?" Hun chuckled, making Mikey's blood boil. A series of sharp shurikens perforated Hun's chest and the right side of his face suddenly. Mikey grinned as he pulled back his arm from the throw.

"_**ARRRGGGUUH!!!**_" he screamed, grunting out painful groans before throwing his arm out to order his remaining goons to attack. "_**URGH!**_ Uhh! Kill-..kill that d-mned freak! **KILL HIM!!!**"

But Mikey was already plowing a clear path through the Purple Dragon goons with Angel over his left shoulder. He kept running with about thirty or so thugs following him.

Thankfully they were stupid and slow. Mikey put his ninja skills to good use as he disappeared into the shadows near a docking bay. Hun's goons fruitlessly searched for him, but it was too late.

Mikey was swimming away from them, careful to keep Angel's head above water. He reached the other side and assessed Angel's head injuries. Blood was pouring from a nasty gash near the side of her forehead as well as other wounds on her.

"_Oh no_..." Mikey whispered, picking her up again, then froze. Donnie always said to never move anyone with a head injury. But he had jostled Angel around a lot when he was escaping.

He carefully set her down on the grass again and pulled out his cel phone. His blood covered fingers shakily dialed a number and he began to curse when Dr. Goodfellow didn't respond instantly.

It felt like an eternity hearing the phone ring three times, then the doctor answered at last.

"Hello, Dr. Goodfellow speaking."

"Jane, it's me, Michelangelo. I need your help really bad."

"Michelangelo? You sound so distressed..! What's wrong?" she asked, alarmed.

"My friend was just attacked. She was kicked in the head and she's bleeding like crazy. You've...you've got to help her, please..." Mikey struggled to talk, feeling sick. If Angel died, he didn't know what he'd do.

He was starting to open his heart again and allowed Angel to fill in the void Kameko's death left him with. Now, Angel might be taken away from him too.

He didn't know if he could handle losing another person he really cared about. It was hard enough the first time...

"Where are you? I'll bring my 4X4. I can take her to a hospital right away." Dr. Goodfellow said, willing to help.

She was only a vet, so she couldn't actually help Angel, but she could take her to the local hospital. She knew Mikey wouldn't be able to, for obvious reasons.

"We're on the other side of the Laird Bay, uhh, I think this is Eastman shore." Mikey replied, looking around. "I'll keep my phone on so you can track me."

"I'll be there in about five minutes. Whatever you do, don't move her. I'm coming." Dr. Goodfellow hung up then. A cool breeze blew, causing a damp Mikey to shiver. He didn't realize how cold it was getting lately.

It was like summer came and went in a flash. He wasn't crazy for fall or winter. The coldness always reminded him of how lonely he and his brothers were when they were tots.

And when the snow came, his brothers would hold him down to make him eat the yellow 'snowcones' that they made themselves. They starved a lot back then, scavenging for any scrap of food they could find.

Mikey recalled times when they went without food for a whole week and only drinking dirty river water to survive. He couldn't believe he actually lived through all that with his brothers and Splinter. Those were not fun times.

Splinter...

The orange clad Turtle shook his head hard to clear his mind of his dearly beloved adopted father. The loneliness he felt as a tot returned, but it came ten-fold.

Splinter was no longer with them, so now the terrible feeling of isolation was stronger than ever. Only his brothers kept him from going insane with sorrow. But they weren't there either currently.

Mikey rubbed his hands over his arms as the cold and distress of the dire situation made his teeth chatter. He felt numb and zombie-like as Dr. Goodfellow drove up in her truck. She helped Mikey get Angel into the vehicle safely.

She instructed him how to hold her securely and correctly to not cause more damage as she drove them to a nearby hospital about ten minutes away. She parked close to the building, but far enough away for Mikey to leave without being seen.

Goodfellow called for the paramedics to retrieve Angel and as soon as she hung up, Mikey 'handed' Angel to her in a sense. He trusted her to take good care of her and he didn't need to worry. But he did regardless.

"Call me once you know anything." Mikey said seriously. She nodded. "Of course."

Mikey left quickly without a trace. Goodfellow could barely believe how fast that Turtle had become. He was like lightning, here the one minute and gone the next.

Angel was taken into intensive care unit and Goodfellow told the head nurse to call her immediately with any news. They promised they would and so the veterinarian left. She had patients of her own to tend to; many furry, some scaly.

They all needed medical attention just like Angel did. The African American woman wished the best for the young girl and prayed she wouldn't die...

* * *

Raph had a hard time making Leo stay at the hu-animal night club once they arrived there. Instantly Leo complained about the excessively loud music, smoke-clogged environment, and flashing dance lights.

"THIS NOISE IS GIVING ME A HEADACHE!" Leo shouted to be heard over the music. Raph ignored him as he waited for Don's show to start so he could finally prove to Leo that what he had been saying was true.

"THESE STUPID FLASHING LIGHTS ARE GOING TO GIVE ME A SEIZURE!" Leo shouted again, standing up to leave. Raph yanked him back down.

"JUST WAIT ABOUT FIVE MORE MINUTES, D-MMIT!" Raph yelled, ordering more brandy. Leo made a face, but remained seated.

Then he noticed a bunch of strange guys staring at him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. They were looking at him as if he was a beautiful creature, which he was, but not like that -- in the way they may be thinking!

He avoided eye contact, but it was too late. The men were coming over to the table where he was sitting with Raph. He was hoping they might be leaving, since their table was near the door.

To his dismay, the two men stopped and eyed Leo over. One was brazen enough to grab and stroke the blue clad Turtle's smooth muscular thigh in a disturbing fashion.

Instantly the guy was on the floor holding his now bloody broken nose after Leo punched him. Raph had to stop Leo from slicing the guy into ribbons with his katanas following that.

"**HOW _DARE_ YOU TOUCH ME, YOU MISGUIDED FOOL?! _HOW DARE YOU?!_ DEFILER!!**" Leo screamed, struggling against his brother. He so wanted to kill that gay punk!

"LEO, COOL IT! CALM DOWN!" Raph shouted, unable to believe he was saying such to Leo when it usually was the other way around.

The guy's friend helped him up and gave the Turtles the finger before they left. Leo growled viciously like a rabid beast, wanting to butcher. Like Mikey, he barely acknowledged the odd stretching sensation in his gut since he was so furious.

It took everything Raph had to hold his older brother back. He grabbed the glass of water Leo had ordered, but didn't drink and splashed it into his face.

"Oh man, what the shell just happened..?" Leo asked, confused. He had never been that ridiculously murderous before. In that fit of rage, he wanted to slaughter everyone in the entire night club. Ok, that wasn't normal.

"WHAT?!" Raph shouted, unable to hear him.

"Never mind!" Leo said a bit louder, but it wasn't enough for his brother to hear him.

"WHAT?"

"FORGET IT! LET'S JUST GET THE SHELL OUT OF HERE!" Leo replied.

"I TOLD YA TO WAIT! I-" Raph stopped shouting as the music lulled and he grinned. At last! Soon, Don would be up on stage. Then he could go find Mona Lisa and talk to her.

"What is this? What's happening?" Leo asked, even more confused. Raph laughed and playfully punched his shoulder.

"Now you'll get to see your precious proof, Leo. Don's gonna appear on that stage next. This place always stops the music for a little bit before the next dancer comes on. That's how they personalize the mood for each dancer. Get it?"

"I don't want to. This place is crawling with 'those people'. You saw how that dirtbag touched my leg!" Leo cried, then scowl-growled as he bowed his head while he covered it with his hands in embarrassment. "I want out of this filthy place. Now."

Just then a new soundtrack was playing, not as loud as the last one, but close enough. The patrons in the bar began to chant Don's name, which disturbed Leo.

He and Raph looked to the stage as everyone did. Within mere moments. Don appeared doing fancy ninja fighting moves with his bo staff while dressed up in a dark purple and bright magenta outfit, complete with holographic tassels.

Leo stood up in disbelief and gawked, unable to believe his eyes. That COULDN'T be Donnie! That just **_couldn't_** be him!

Don danced around seductively, swaying his hips and running his hands over himself in a way that made Leo want to die from embarrassment. How could he..._display_ himself LIKE THAT?!

Raph grinned while Leo's heart sank lower and lower. The blue clad Turtle didn't want to believe that was actually Don up there dancing erotically on stage, but that was indeed Donnie up there.

Mortification wasn't enough to BEGIN to express how Leo was feeling. While he couldn't get Raph or Mikey behave like angels, he thought he could at least keep Don somewhat decent.

But now, he saw for himself what a male whore Don could be. Leo felt as if he had failed Master Splinter and sorrow glazed his heart. That sadness was overtaken by intense fury as he witnessed Don stripping off his clothes in a horrifying manner.

Meanwhile, Raph felt his cel phone vibrating and had to leave the loud night club to answer it. Mona Lisa was on the other end and she wanted to see him in person to tell him something very important. Finally!

Pleased, Raph left to go see her and find out why she was being so indifferent these past weeks. He could at last get to the bottom of that mystery once and for all.

Back in the night club, Leo made his way closer to the stage with his angry eyes burning. It was apparent that Don didn't know that Leo was there yet as the Turtle in purple kept shaking his shell unhindered.

Don was feeling well pleased that night. Dr. Weinter and his team were moving ahead quickly with his project. They came up with some new factors to stabilize the mutating DNA from changing radically into something else.

What they created that night was a stronger form of Mona Lisa's precure serum. Don was confident enough that it would keep him as a civilized mutant Turtle for at least one fun night at work.

He had missed too many days here and the customers were angry that he was no longer showing up. So Cleo stressed how important it was for him to be a regular dancer there.

While he couldn't promise that he could always be there, he would come sometimes. Cleo figured that was better than nothing and believed Don had to do work for Kano instead, so she accepted that.

While the progress at the labs was going great, something Don discovered about his mutated DNA was not. Tragically, the 'cures' that Karai and her scientific team had been giving to him and also to his brothers were not actually cures. They only delayed the inevitable.

Unless Don could come up with the real permanent cure, he and his brothers would all mutate into horrific mindless savages no matter what. He didn't know exactly when, but he could sense it was soon.

The stress and worry of that dire problem weighed heavily on Don and he needed to escape it somehow to keep from becoming a nervous-wreck. Dancing was the only solution currently.

As he danced his jacket off sexily and gyrated himself down to his knees, he felt someone viciously glaring at him. He turned to see who it was. Terror jolted throughout his body when Don saw him.

_**LEO?!**_ What was **_HE_** doing here? For a moment, Don was frozen with shock and horror as his older brother's fiery stare seared through his soul. He could practically hear Leo's growling despite the loud music.

Jarring from his present state of surprise, Don hastily finished his strip-down and flung his jacket into the happy squealing female audience and fled the stage abruptly, confusing his fans.

Don rushed to the back rooms, praying Leo wouldn't follow. He slammed himself shut in his dressing room and locked the door. He began to tear off his tasseled arm and knee pads in a hurry.

'Leo's going to KILL me!!!' Don thought, fretting. He could almost feel his older brother punching the shell out of him. Leo hated to be in the dark about secrets. Especially one like this!

When they were tots, Don had received many beatings since the others knew they could overpower him and win easily. That was why he hated to fight since he usually lost and ended up being the only one with a bloody beak.

He wasn't really sure how he'd truly fare in a fight due to his compassion and unwillingness to hurt others. While Raph punched his way to the top in strength, Don was content to be on the bottom and tinker instead.

He would tinker around with the broken toys Splinter had found for them and made them like new. His father and brothers marveled at his uncanny skill to fix things.

Don was happy with being the 'Tinkerer' until Raph began to mercilessly tease him, calling him 'Tinkerbell' as soon as he saw that flying fairy on the Disney channel.

To be called dainty, girly, and weak made him angry. So in a rare fit of rage, Don began a fight with Raph. Sadly, Don lost that fight and Raph had a new nickname for him as he kept him pinned on the floor while he sobbed in pain.

"Wimpy egg! Wimpy baby egg! BABY!" Raph had gloated and Mikey joined him, which made Don cry even harder. Splinter put a stop to all that quickly, but Don couldn't really forget those hurtful times.

Being kind and compassionate meant you were a weak loser? Certainly not! Don proved himself a force to be reckoned with as they grew up together and he made himself not back away from the fights Raph started with him.

Then one day when they were almost eight, Leo had pulled Don aside and asked him to be on his 'side' against the other two. He stated that Raph and Mikey were too rough and dumb while he and Don were 'better' than them since they weren't stupid or brutes.

"Stay close to me, bro. I'll protect you when they pick on you." Leo had said. "All I ask is that you promise to be open and honest with me forever. There'll be no secrets between us, ok?"

Leo had a hard time making Raph or Mikey be honest with him, so he instantly deemed them 'riff-raff'. They were not good enough to hang around him. But Don was a different story. He was like Leo. Decent, honest, clean, and straightforward.

Don, in need of protection at that time, agreed to that promise. Little did he know as they became adults, Don unwittingly broke that promise. Leo never took broken promises lightly.

While Don was feverishly stuffing his things into his duffel bag, there was a knock on the door. He gasped, looking up from his task in fright and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Donnie? Don? What happened out there?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Cleo. Whew! He unlocked the door and did his best to be nonchalant as he let her inside. She gave him a concerned expression as she noticed the shaken fearful look in his eyes. He kept peering over his shoulder at the door, fretting.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked, taking hold of his face and making him look at her. She had her hands on his cheeks and smoothed them down to the tip of his beak, trying to soothe him.

"My brother's here." Don said in a dry whisper. He could barely speak, that's how disturbed he was. He imagined Leo smashing the door down and 'killing' him any second.

"Your brother? The one with the red mask, Raphael? But he comes here all the time." Cleo said, confused. Don shook his head quickly, eyes closed in distress.

Cleo thought hard. Mikey came sometimes, but his presence never alarmed Don like this before. There was only one brother left then. ACK! Oh no!

"Not _him_!" Cleo squeaked, understanding. Don nodded briskly, covering his face with his hands in despair.

"Come this way." she said, pulling him towards another room connected to that one. "You can climb the fire escape and go home on the rooftops. Maybe he won't see you."

Don gave her a loving hug and kiss before he thanked her. "I'll try to come back as soon as I can." he told her and went out onto the metal structure attached to the side of the building.

Once on the rooftops, Don took off as fast as his legs could carry him while he hauled his heavy duffel bag with him. Halfway home, Don felt that he was safe and paused to catch his breath. Then...

"Mind explaining what the shell you were doing at that night club?" Leo asked in a stiff tight voice, ready to explode any second. Somehow without making a sound, Leo was behind Don, only a foot away.

Poor Don was scared out of his shell and let out a cry of shock as he whirled around as a reaction to Leo's 'sudden' presence. Breathing hard, he avoided Leo's eyes with his head bowed off to the left.

What could he say in his defense? That he was trying to end world hunger by dancing at a strip joint and that he was still very much a decent Turtle? And not at all a man whore?

Leo would never believe it. He had seen him doing one of his most erotic dance moves to date. He was so embarrassed...! And he worried what Leo may do to him.

"Oh wow, that's some good explanation there, Don!" Leo spat sarcastically, concluding that his little brother's silence meant that he was guilty. Guilty of being a filthy man whore.

Don couldn't stand this humiliating situation any longer and tried bolting away with his duffel bag's strap to his shoulder. Leo scrunched his features in disgust and pursued his younger brother

"I WON'T have you becoming a male prostitute!" he shouted angrily. He reached out to grab his shoulder to stop him. Instead he got the duffel bag to Don's horror. He couldn't let Leo see what was in that bag!

Don tried to grab the bag back, but Leo didn't let go and they 'played' tug-a-war until the bag's zipper got yanked open and the contents spilled out onto the rooftop.

Leo's eyes widened at the things he saw. He bent down slowly and picked up the items. He showed Don the cigarettes and bags of suspicious looking white powder as he shouted at him.

"You're smoking Marlboros _AND doing cocaine_?!" Leo was so blown away by this that he instantly felt disconnected from Don.

"Look, Leo. I'm not doing cocaine! I'm trying to get rid of it!" Don shouted back, feeling hopeless. Leo would never believe him, but he had to try to defend himself for this at least.

He tried to explain that he was confiscating the Purple Dragons' illegal drugs so he could dispose of them properly. But he couldn't tell him that he was actually a Purple Dragon member himself.

"Oh, yeah right!" Leo scoffed, rolling his eyes. His faith in Don was long gone by now. He saw him as a lying little brother who was just trying to get out of trouble by using every dishonorable method in the book.

"Ok, so where did you get these drugs? From that night club?" Leo asked, fuming.

"No! I...found them..." Don wanted to tell him everything, but he couldn't. Hun's spies may be watching and they would have an easy time locating them thanks to Leo's loud screaming.

"Admit it, Don! Just admit you're doing drugs and that's why you're selling your body at that night club to get more!" Leo pinched his eyes shut and sighed, believing Don had a drug addiction and he needed help.

Leo softened his expression and sighed. "I'll help you through this, Don. Just let me." he said, dropping the cigarettes and baggies onto the rooftop. Don was trying to put his stuff back into the duffel bag and returned the drugs to his bag.

The purple clad Turtle was very miffed and insulted that Leo would think he would fall into that kind of trap.

"I don't have any addiction to drugs, Leo." Don said darkly. But to be thorough, he added, "I may have a nicotine habit, but I'm NOT doing illegal drugs!"

"Don, getting over denial is the first step to recovery..." Leo wanted to believe that Don was addicted to drugs because he didn't want to believe that Don really wanted to dance on stage like that on his own unaltered free will.

He'd rather have him be a drug addict than a real man whore. But Don proved that he was wrong about him yet again.

"Leo! Look, I found these drugs near various gang hideouts and I'm going to destroy them! I'll give you a d-mned blood sample if you want decisive proof! Ok?! I'm TELLING you! I am NOT doing drugs! PERIOD!" Don shot back, his fear gone.

"If you're not...then _why_ are you dancing at that place? You...can't possible LIKE doing it...can you?" Leo asked, trying to figure this out. Desperately trying to figure out what was wrong with his usually meek and honest brother.

"I'm dancing there to earn money for the parts I need for my invention which, I hope, will end world hunger."

There! Finally, he said it. But would Leo believe or understand it?

"What?" Leo tried to stifle his laugh. That was the most ridiculous absurd thing he had ever heard! "Karai pays us all very well for helping her. You should have plenty of money by now."

"You know how much I can't stand her! I don't want ANYTHING to do with her! I'd rather die than accept any of her dirty money!" Don cried, seething. He should have known. Leo wouldn't understand.

"Oh, and like the money you're getting at that porn house isn't?" Leo said snottily.

"I'm _EARNING_ it! That's more than what your d-mned hussy can do! If there ever was a whore, she's the one!" Don yelled, remembering how she fondled his tail when he was stuck on that operating table. His blind rage helped him forget how kind Karai had been to him lately.

"_**WHAT?!**_" Leo narrowed his brown eyes into thin enraged slits. "How **_DARE_** you call _Karai_ a whore when **I_ SAW_** you being a real one at that porn house?! You're nothing, but a lying d-mned male prostitute!!!"

The devastation that overtook Don's angry expression made Leo regret saying that to him, even though what he had seen Don doing convinced him that to be true about his little brother. The devastation in Don's eyes left as his hurt ire returned.

"Since you think that I'm nothing but a male harlot, I guess I better go back to my 'porn house' and continue selling off my body." he stated strangely, like he too was disconnected from Leo. He turned to leave.

"Absolutely NOT! You're not going any where, but home! I'm NOT letting you ruin your life like this!" Leo cried, reaching for the marginal of his shell when Don whipped around to whack his hand away.

"I'm going to ultimately be SAVING lives by dancing there! And I happen to LIKE working at that pub! You can't stop me, Leo! Don't even try..." Don scowled, pointing a finger at him in a demeaning gesture. He turned his back on him again.

The alpha male in Leo felt threatened by Don's insubordinate behavior and he unsheathed his katanas in a fury. Don heard the metal blades scraping their sheathes as Leo yanked them free and faced him.

"I said you're not going any where..." Leo snarled darkly, coming to the obvious conclusion that he would have MAKE Don turn away from this new ugly life and return him to normal by employing severe methods of punishment.

"Leo, just let me live my life for once, ok?" Don had been worried that Leo would physically beat him with his fists, but he was confident that he wouldn't blatantly attack him with weapons.

"I _WON'T_ let you ruin your life...!** DO YOU HEAR ME?! I WON'T!!!**" Leo shrieked, charging at him with his swords raised and ready to strike.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 32!  
I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Leo loses it and is about to attack Don with his blades! Will this be the end of Leo and Don's brotherly love? (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this chapter at my DA gallery!)**

**Once Rose and Cleo meet, how will Don keep them from ripping each other apart?  
How will Raph take the news from Mona Lisa that he's going to be a father?**

LATER: Bishop has new plans for the Turtles and his super soldier project when he discovers the clones of Don's fetus can not live long. He wants more mutant spawn to be made, the old fashion way and has a scheme to force the Turtles into giving up their children to him...

**Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	32. Leo VS Don & Raph's New Joy

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.32

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: I plan to continue censoring the swearing here to cater to those who dislike swearing in fics. The comic book version of this story will not be censored, so go to my DA site for updates on it if interested in seeing the uncensored version of this DoTT fic. Thank you for your understanding. :)  
Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Don back-flipped away from Leo to evade his sudden charge. Several feet away, he gave his older brother a long disconcerted stare before he scoffed.

Did Leo actually think he was going to make Don bend to his will by threatening him with those swords? The purple clad Turtle wasn't going to be intimidated and back down like he used to before Karai came along. He had it with Leo's controlling behavior!

It had been months since Don had any real relief given to the carnality growing within him. Cleo did ease his desires at times, but she never made real love to him so far. He figured she wouldn't commit right off to avoid making her other workers angry.

Afterall, it wasn't right for a boss to favor one worker over the others, so Don believed that was the reason Cleo wouldn't commit to him as Rose did. Don squeezed his eyes shut in mental anguish just thinking about her.

His body ached to be one with hers again. It was so bad at times where he nearly wanted to return to Rose just for relief, but his grudge against her wouldn't allow him to act like the filthy dumb animal Rose had harshly labeled him.

She may be sorry for what she had said, but Don wanted her to know what he felt like those months before. The entire situation put him on edge and he was getting more hostile from it. Meanwhile, Leo was suffering a similar dilemma as well.

Leo was too embarrassed to go to Karai solely for alleviation of his shameful desires of the flesh. He thought he was better than that, that he could control himself. Finding out that he was wrong elevated his bitterness.

Both terrapin mutant warriors were getting increasingly more agitated and bellicose. Since they couldn't get the relief they desired carnally, there was another way to expel their aggression through fighting.

The purple clad Turtle's high testosterone levels made him want to fight as much as Leo's did. Don yanked his bo staff from its holder on his back and took a fighting stance.

"Don't do this, Don..!" Leo cried, feeling slight deja vu. This was almost like how he had a real brawl with Raphael when Leo came back from Central America a year late.

But this was worse, since this was Don he was going to fight here. The only brother he could really trust had disappeared and someone _dishonorable_ was in his place.

Leo grit his teeth. Well, he'll MAKE his little brother, his REAL little brother, return to normal...one way or another with his katanas. He would slash and beat true honor into him until Don promised on his life never to be a man whore again.

"**Stop** _controlling_ my life, Leo! I'm an adult and you have **_no_** right dictating how I live my life!" Don shouted back, swiping his bo at his brother's legs. Leo dodged the attack and slammed his blades down at Don, who blocked the katanas with his bo.

"**Yes I do!** Especially when you're _selling_ your _body_ off like that!!! You're **_not_** responsible enough to live your life on your own correctly! You've forgotten _how_ to live _honorably_! You **don't** know how! I _can't_ let you live a life that will lead you into an early grave!" Leo shrieked hoarsely at him, losing his temper.

It was like Leo was a father battling with his disobedient 'son' who wouldn't accept his right and just authority and that 'son' wanted to go on the dark side to be unjust and evil. He couldn't let Donnie become evil.

And that accursed night club was making him evil! He had to put a stop to it and save his beloved 'son' / baby brother from this wicked dirty dishonorable evil and salvage his nearly broken promise to Master Splinter to keep his brothers, at least one, pure.

Don knocked away one of Leo's katanas out of his older brother's hands. Leo hastily retrieved it, grabbing the blade instead, cutting his right hand.

He took hold of the handle and tightened his grip on it due to the slipperiness created by his blood. He charged at Don again, trying to break through his little brother's defending bo staff.

On Don's end, he couldn't believe how little trust Leo had in him. He still treated him like a helpless naive hatchling even after they had made up! It hurt him to know Leo viewed him like this and realized that he had no faith in him to do the right thing.

Don couldn't attack back much, thanks to Leo's vicious onslaught. It took all he had to just defend, though he wished he could get in a whack or jab sometime.

He had to prove he wasn't the weak hatchling Leo thought he was. While Leo didn't exactly think Don was weak, Don believed that his older brother did think this way about him.

Not only that, but Leo thought he was bad, SNAP!, just like that! Ok, so he did actually look bad dancing erotically, but why couldn't Leo understand like how Raph and Mikey did?

Why did Leo have to judge him so harshly and label him a male slut without finding out everything first? Why?! It was like how Rose judged Don and to have Leo, the only brother he could best relate to, do the same to him, cut through his heart worse than Leo's katanas.

Don's painful scream echoed throughout the rooftops, scaring a flock of resting pigeons away. Blood dripped and collected into a growing pool at the purple clad Turtle's feet as he collapsed to one knee while holding onto his bo for support.

From two long cuts on each of Don's shoulders near the arm joints, dark red liquid oozed forth in waves as his heart pumped out his vital life-giving fluid. Don struggled not to express anymore agony. He wasn't going to be the wimp anymore!

Still, tears leaked from the corners of his tightly shut eyes while he grit his teeth doing his best to stifle his throe, both physically and emotionally.

Leo's bloody katanas clattered messily to the rooftop as the older sibling stared at his hands in disbelief. 'What's wrong with me?!' Leo thought, breathing hard. 'I nearly severed Don's arms off!'

While he didn't actually cut him THAT deep, it was enough to make him bleed badly. Guilt tormented Leo, feeling as if he was trying to kill Don just to make him obey.

That wasn't right. Not realizing this was another sign of hyper mutation, the blue clad Turtle fought hard to find the right words.

"Donnie, I-... I..." Leo tried to say, but gave up. He had to get him home right away. He attempted to pick him up, but Don fiercely rejected his help.

"Why don't you just finish me then?! I'm nothing, but a filthy male prostitute, remember?!" Don cried, unable to look at his brother.

He was too upset. Again, he lost another fight. Why did he always have to be the loser? He didn't expect to win all the time, but it seemed like he NEVER won ANY fights with his brothers. It made him feel like absolutely nothing.

"Forget that. Don, I've got to take you home. You're bleeding all over." Leo said, wanting to get him patched up before it was too late. He sheathed his katanas and bent down to him.

"And _**who's**_ fault is that?!" Don angrily snapped, but allowed Leo to take him into his arms and carry him home. Once in the Lair, Leo had Don's upper arms and shoulders bandaged.

The loss of blood caused Don to fall asleep on the couch and Leo remained by his side while he thought over that night's events. Casey might try to force them to abide to human laws and get his beloved Karai into serious trouble.

Don was an erotic dancer at the most disgusting night club Leo ever had the displeasure of seeing. He worried about something that really bothered him.

How many people did Don give favors to and how many were homosexuals? What if Don had contracted a dangerous life-threatening disease?

Leo assumed the worst and angrily brushed away the tears that burned his tired eyes. If Donnie died an early death to sexually transmitted diseases, Leo didn't know how he'd carry on without him.

If only he had watched Don more closely and stopped him before he went to that horrid night club. Money couldn't really be the issue. He could have asked him for some.

Leo would have given all his money to keep his baby brother from becoming a dirty man whore. He would have given his life even to keep Don clean and decent.

He looked over his younger sibling with intense remorse. Don may be a grown up, but he was still Leo's little brother no matter what. And Leo couldn't get himself out of that mind set that Don was also his 'son'.

Having practically no luck on creating his own real children with Karai, Leo could not stop seeing all his siblings as his 'sons'. It was warping his mind a bit, yet he didn't notice this odd change in him as disorderly.

He felt he was doing what Master Splinter wanted. To keep his children safe at all times. With Splinter gone, his children became Leo's children. Since he wanted kids of his own so badly, he 'adopted' his brothers without their consent or knowledge.

Leo touched Don's face as a loving parent would before kissing his forehead. Then he settled down to rest near him in an easy chair and hoped for better times to come. They had so much turmoil lately, it was about time for some relief with peace and quiet.

* * *

Following Mona Lisa's instructions, Raph stealthily went to the west shore to a large cape cod house surrounded by half an arce of forest. He searched the building until he located the bedroom window which was hidden well by the trees.

Pennington had this safe house set up for Mona Lisa in return for any info she could get from Raph on Hun and his criminal activities. It was a fair enough deal for the time being.

Raph did ask on the phone why he couldn't just enter the place through the front or back doors, but she feared someone would see him entering. And so she suggested he come in by the window which was the best obscured part of the house.

He knocked on it and Mona Lisa unlocked it so he could get inside. She returned to sit on the bed near the window since there were no chairs in that room. She looked like she wanted to fly into his arms, but she held herself back.

She feared that Raph wouldn't want her anymore since she was pregnant. When she had chances to go back to the Lair, she didn't take them. If she did come back, there was no doubt Raph would expect her to sleep with him as they did before.

What could she say when she refused to make love with him? He may hate the baby more once he knew it would deny him her body temporarily for months.

Raph was so pleased to see her that he realized how deeply he missed her and how much his body ached to be one with her again. He couldn't stand it for another moment.

Unable to restrain his sudden burning passion, Raph held her close and kissed her hungrily, causing her to fall back on the bed with him on top of her.

"Raphael, stop!" Mona Lisa cried, alarmed. She should have known as much. He wanted sex just like he usually did almost everyday back when they lived in her apartment for weeks. Now she just knew he would hate their baby...

"What?" Raph obeyed and got off of her, confused and fairly upset. Why didn't she want him anymore? She used to before. What was going on here? He wanted answers and quick!

"What's the matter?" he asked, preparing himself for a possible break-up. Mona Lisa sighed and avoided his eyes, too scared to tell him. What if he wanted her to get an abortion? Still, she had to tell him. He had a right to know.

"I... I- we...can't make love anymore..." she began, confusing him even more.

"Why?" Raph made his own conclusion to why and got huffy. "Oh, I get it. You don't want me around no more, right? I'm too much trouble to handle? You gots yerself a new boyfriend?"

"No! Raphael- I!"

"H-ll, I can take a hint! You've been brushing me off for weeks, Lisa! Dangling me like a worm on a hook, like some d-mn sucker! Making me wait in the dark! Confusing the shell outta me!" Raph scowled, leaping off the bed and heading for the window. "Just say the word and I'm gone!"

"Raphael, you idiot! I don't have a new boyfriend nor am I making a fool out of you!" Mona Lisa shouted angrily.

"_Then what is it?!_"

"I'm pregnant, silly!"

Raph paused as he took this info in slowly with much surprise. He went back to her and grabbed her hands, feeling joy spreading through him.

"What?! No, really? You're sure??" he asked, his smiling easing Mona Lisa's worried fears.

"Yes! I'm sure. I was worried you were going to reject me and the baby, so I stayed away." she replied, happy that he was happy from the news. He embraced her suddenly and lifted her off the bed, swinging her around.

"This is great! I can't wait to tell my brothers! They're gonna be uncles, at last!" Raph laughed with Mona Lisa and he set her back on the bed gently.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Raph wanted to know. Mona Lisa felt proud to answer that question.

"A boy." She giggled seeing Raph pump his fists happily in the air as if he accomplished an impossible task, which in a way he did. Knowing that Mona Lisa still wanted and loved him put him into a very good mood.

But also knowing that he would have a son sent him into orbit with intense joy. He already planned on naming the child after himself and couldn't wait to teach Little Raphie Junior how to play sports and fight just like how he did.

"Sheesh, and here I was worried you would hate me and the baby." Mona Lisa told him, snuggling under his chin. Raph was yet again confused. "Why would I?"

"Well, we can't, you know..." she hinted, jabbing him with her elbow. He scoffed and playfully pushed her down onto her back as he hovered over her.

"We can still fondle and get each other off." he pointed out, licking her forehead lovingly before kissing her hard. Mona Lisa turned on her side as he moved behind her and enveloped her in his beefy arms.

"You always find a way to get around anything, don't you?" she giggled, closing her eyes as he kissed her neck while his hands rummaged over her breasts.

"Hey, I'm a Turtle. I always find a way." Raph purred, relishing their intimate private time together. His right hand slowly slid down lower until it reached its desired destination, causing Mona Lisa intense pleasure.

Throughout the night, the lovers delighted one another without becoming one. Mona Lisa woke before Raph did the next morning. It wasn't too easy to sleep due to his loud snoring, but she loved him anyway.

The night before, Raph has tossed his belt, sais, mask, and elbow and knee pads onto the floor in a messy scattered heap. It was something he did all the time back at her apartment.

With a quiet slightly annoyed sigh, Mona Lisa gathered up his things and put them on the small table next to the bed. Then she realized something alarmingly. Raph was noticeably larger than the night before.

Plus, his fingers and toes were adorned with long sharp hooks for claws. She would have felt those things as he groped her last night, but she didn't since he wasn't like this before. What did this mean? She gasped and felt disturbed.

What if Donatello wasn't the only one who had the hyper mutation problem? She decided to create some of that precure serum she made for Don just in case Raph would need it. She had a bad feeling that he would...

* * *

Back in Area 51, Agent Bishop was having his hands full of all sorts of experiments. The fetus he had saved from Chaplin was put into cryogenic suspension and Bishop had clones made from it.

Every single one died without reaching any sort of maturity. So he added in some Triceraton alien DNA to the next batch of clones and out of the hundreds there, one survived.

The specimen grew into adulthood quickly with the help of Bishop's secret growth serum, which he planned to market to the food industry someday. The creature was nothing like Bishop expected it-...him to be.

It was easy to see that his exterior was more reptilian thanks to Don's mutant terrapin DNA and the dinosaur-like DNA of the Triceratons. But he had blonde hair like Rose Chaplin did and the physique of a man, showing that he was also human too.

"My beautiful abomination. The only one that has survived..." Bishop said eerily, as if this clone was his child and his alone. "Soon, you will be ready to present my offer to the Turtles."

Bishop was unable to simply clone hordes of Don's fetus to create a massive army of expendable super soldiers. The clones never matured and always died.

Only the clone with Triceraton DNA survived, but his scientists warned him that this clone would be mentally unstable and unpredictable, not to mention highly dangerous. Bishop disregarded their warnings and told them to proceed creating this clone.

He attempted making copies this successfully made clone, but the same problem happened again. The clones did not mature and all perished. Bishop decided not to waste any more resources and manpower on this cloning project.

It was obviously a failure. But perhaps a mutant breeding farm wouldn't be...

Bishop planned to use the surviving clone, which he named Assassin, as muscle to capture the Turtles and force them to mate with whatever female humans he could trick into participating.

He already had a team of contractors building him a new lab which he would make into a breeding farm. It would be a massive building with all the modern conveniences money could buy.

Bishop wanted his creations to be well cared for and the parents comfortable and stress-free so they would keep on making more soldiers for him.

He would be like a new McDonald with his rare species breeding farm which would cater to the military and whichever organization needing an expendable army of unbeatable man-like animal soldiers.

If the Turtles refused, then he would have Assassin murder everyone they cared about until they did agree. Bishop wasn't going to give up on this project which he believed would give him endless funding and make him internationally super famous.

He would have control over life and death with this breeding farm. That was something he evilly relished in.

"Soon, my Assassin... Very soon, you will make me into a god."

* * *

Karai was under a lot of pressure as of late. Bishop was calling her almost every other day nonstop asking her if she was pregnant with Leonardo's spawn yet.

Months before Bishop had promised to instantly give Karai's future son a place in his top military team as its leader, which was what she wanted. That would give her more power in more ways than one.

But she could not seem to create this half mutant half human baby within her. Due to her mistake in scorning Leonardo, she did not have any new chances to get pregnant.

"I'm sorry, Agent Bishop. But I've been trying to spawn a child with Leonardo for months. Nothing has worked so far." Karai admitted reluctantly. Bishop did not want to hear anything like that.

If the Turtles couldn't reproduce with humans, Bishop's breeding farm would never work. He wouldn't believe this couldn't succeed since he had seen proof that it could. Don and Rose's fetus was more than enough for him to believe he could MAKE this sort of thing work.

"Maybe you're under too much stress, Karai. I suggest you get unstressed and keep trying if you ever want to see your future son leading my men into battle and get the credentials he needs to excel in my organization and be overall successful in life. If you don't have results for me by the end of this year, I'll cut my funding with you." Bishop hung up, not caring to hear any more of what Karai had to say.

Karai frowned, not liking how overly pushy Bishop was being on this. She wasn't an oven where you could just pop in some cupcake batter in a tin and out came cupcakes.

Creating a new life took time and maybe she wasn't meant to carry the spawn of her father's murderer. Perhaps her father was stopping this somehow from the afterlife? It certainly seemed like it.

She decided to find out why Bishop was so overly eager for her to give birth to a mutant terrapin's child. Maybe he had other darker plans in store?

Karai figured he did and could care less if Bishop no longer did business with her organization. They would do fine without his funding. But she did want to get to the bottom of Bishop's alternative motives just the same.

Her future son would be successful regardless, with or without Bishop's connections. Karai was not going to beg Bishop to realize her son's potential. He shall be the one begging. Begging to have her son lead his men into combat and win each battle flawlessly.

After commanding her spies and hackers to uncover Bishop's real plans, Karai went to her private quarters to do some stress-relieving meditation. She unlocked the doors, then paused.

That scent...! It couldn't be, could it? She felt a jolt of joy and desire rush through her, but forced herself to be nonchalant as she entered the dark room and lit her candles.

"I know you are there, Leonardo." she said matter-of-factly. Leo came into the candlelight, looking perfectly solemn as usual. But she could see in his eyes that he was just as eager as she was to have him there.

"Have you come to an agreement with your brothers?" she asked, pulling cushions out from a chest of drawers. She handed him one, assuming that he would meditate with her.

It had been nearly two weeks since Leo had found out that Don was working at the hu-animal night club and cut his shoulders open. Don rarely spoke to Leo now and it was like walking on eggshells in the Lair.

Raph didn't come back to the Lair, but he did call and say he needed to stay and protect Mona Lisa. He didn't know when he'd be back either. Mikey was scarce too. He was using most of his time visiting Angel at the hospital.

Leo only saw Mikey early mornings and late at night when he returned to the Lair and left. Despite their indifferent relationship, Leo cared for Don's injuries, which were almost healed up thanks to some kind of new medicine Don created.

It was actually a tweaked version of the super healing medicine Dr. Sarah Perry had. Not only did it heal wounds fast, it killed any infections as well twice as fast as the original formula.

To help keep Don's muscles flexible, Leo gently massaged his shoulders daily. It was good to know that Don wasn't actually giving out favors to strangers like Leo had feared before. At least he didn't need to worry about that anymore.

All this babysitting and 'mothering' intensified Don's resentment towards Leo, whom actually enjoyed caring for his little brother since he could keep an eye on him best this way.

Eventually, Leo got around asking Don what they should do about helping Karai and Don disgustedly said he didn't care what they did anymore for that. Karai so far didn't screw up the chance he gave her, so he had no reason to be against her currently.

Pleased with his supposedly positive vote, Leo hugged his younger brother, which added to Don's annoyance. The blue clad Turtle deemed it alright to visit Karai to give her the news of Don's vote that night.

As soon as Don went to sleep, Leo left for Karai's skyscraper and waited in her secret chambers until she came. His cautious distrust for her was not as strong as it used to be as he politely dropped the cushion onto the polished wooden floor.

"Yes. We will fight beside you against Kano once more." Leo said softly, looking for any hints from her that told him it was alright for him to touch her. He would never openly place his hands upon Karai unless she permitted it.

That was how it was with them. If she felt like getting close to him, she would let him know. Otherwise, he could forget it. She wasn't always in the mood to be intimate afterall and the same was with him, though he rarely passed up a chance to cuddle with his beloved Karai.

"Good." she replied, closing the dresser drawer that held her finest collection of Oriental silk cushions. Bishop or not, she wanted a powerful son sometime before she was too old to conceive anymore.

With Leonardo and his brothers back as her allies, she had something less to worry about. Slyly, she headed towards her new black silk couch and waited to see if Leo caught on to her subtle hint.

Leo nearly followed her, but his distrust held him back. She was like a beautiful dark rose whose thorns he had to grasp first in order to breathe in the sweet scent. He didn't want to be a fool all over again.

Karai realized that he was wary of her still and knew of a good way to ease his worries. She pointed her index finger at him and curled it to herself, signaling for him to come. That seductive look was too much for him to resist.

Sighing in defeat, Leo went to her and stopped hiding his smiles as he joined her on that ebony couch. With his beauty undressed, he expressed his starving passion into her with intense fervent abandon.

She didn't care how incredibly taboo it was for her to mate with a man-like mutant terrapin and desire to carry his spawn. She knew who she wanted and that was Leonardo, and only Leonardo.

For hours on end into the night, they made love unrestrained. Karai prayed to her father to allow her to carry Leonardo's baby. She wanted to have a family of her very own, a powerful uncanny one.

She could only get such a family with Leo, so she begged her father to forgive his murderer and let her conceive at last. Her lover's performance surpassed his previous sessions so much so that Karai was convinced that he had deeply missed her.

Later as they slept, Karai stirred when she felt a cold breeze. She quickly realized that Leo was trying to leave while she slept. She held a blanket to her as she stood bare foot and stepped towards the windows.

"Leon..." she called out one of his rarely used nicknames. He paused as he was halfway out the window and turned to her.

"I have to go back. My brother needs me." Leo said gently, hating to leave her like this, but he had to care for Donnie. And watch him.

"...I understand..." Karai replied softly, looking off to the side sadly. Leo reached out and tenderly touched her face to get her to look at him. He bent over to kiss her goodbye and then he was gone.

She watched him disappear into the darkness as she closed her window. 'Please, let this be the time where I am at last fertilized by him... Father, allow me to carry his child. Please...' she thought and returned to the couch to sleep.

* * *

When Leo came back to the Lair to check up on Don, he was relieved to see him still sleeping and never knew that he had left. He was about to go to his room to sleep, when he thought he heard Don mumbling something in his sleep.

It appeared to be a good dream where Don was enjoying himself, expressing his pleasure with happy whispers and groans. Leo was about to ignore his little brother's obvious sexually excited behavior from that dream until he thought he heard Don moaning HIS name.

He waited and listened for a while. He was certain Donnie was indeed saying his name as if they were lovers! _**NO!**_ It had to be that horrid night club's doing with all those homosexuals everywhere! They influenced Don to be like this!

Horrified and disgustedly enraged by Don's joyful moaning, Leo lost his temper again and buried his fast-flying fist into the purple clad Turtle's gut hard, instantly waking him up. He tumbled onto the floor, in pain.

"**_URGH!!!_**" Don groaned, coughing. "**What the shell?!**"

"_Stop_ dreaming about me! It's _**sick**_!" Leo shouted, fuming. He had to really end this frightening problem.

"What the shell are you talking about?" Don scowled, holding his stomach. "I wasn't dreaming about you!"

"Don't lie! I heard you saying my name in your sleep!"

"What?! I did not! All I remember is that I was with Cleo and we were-..." Don paused and figured it out. He began to laugh as he climbed back onto the couch.

"**_Oh man!_** Leo! You thought I was dreaming about _you_? Doing _**it**_ with **_you_**..?" Both brothers gagged in loud aversion.

"So..you weren't dreaming about me like that afterall?" Leo asked hopefully, praying that this was so. He was standing at the end of the couch and Don had a clear path to kick his older brother in the leg roughly.

"_**Shell no!**_ I'd NEVER EVER do that!" Don half-smiled as he chuckled. "I may work around gay people, but I'm not one of them, Leo. Don't worry."

"Don..." Leo began, figuring this was the most lightened mood they shared in a while and he might be more open to talk about that so-called job. "I don't like you working at that place. I want you to stop going there. Please."

"Leo, that's my decision to make. Not yours." Don said tiredly and pulled up an itchy worn wool blanket they had since Klunk was around. His orange tabby fur was still imbedded into the dirty thing.

The Turtles hardly washed stuff like blankets or bed sheets. Germs didn't bother them that much as they used to live in a sewer after all. Bed bugs were easy to kill as were lice and fleas with Don's specially made repellent sprays.

They didn't have any infestations for a long time since Mikey stopped bringing random stray cats home. Raph was severely allergic to their dander, so it was best that Mikey quit trying to adopt every homeless cat that was out there.

"I don't want to see you degenerate into someone you're not..." Leo tried again, struggling not to nag, but he wanted to so badly. Nagging was one of the things he was flawless at.

"Leo, just stop worrying for once, will you? I'll be fine. I have been all the times I've worked there. Please, I'm asking you to stop trying to live my life for me! I'm not a hatchling. I'm an adult. Alright?" Don covered his head with the blanket in attempts to block him out.

"I don't know how many times I need to tell you that before you actually understand..." Don muttered, his voice muffled. Leo stared at his younger brother hiding under that blanket and heaved sigh, shaking his head.

"You may be an adult, Don, but when will you understand that you'll always be my baby brother no matter what? I have a duty to always protect you whether you like it or not. I promised Master Splinter that I'd watch all three of you regardless. So, please... Make my job easier and quit your job at the night club."

"Until you learn the difference from protecting and overbearing, I won't even begin to consider quitting my job." came the curt reply under the wool blanket.

Leo sighed again, fighting hard not to start an argument with him. He patted Don's foot and started to head for his room to sleep. "We'll talk later. In the morning."

'That's what you think!' Don grimaced in disdain. He wasn't going to be there in the morning...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 33!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Where does Don plan to go in the morning to avoid Leo's excessive nagging? Once Rose and Cleo meet, how will Don keep them from ripping each other apart?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?

**Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	33. Don is Lost & Raph Finds Out Don's a PD

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.33

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: I plan to continue censoring the swearing here to cater to those who dislike swearing in fics. The comic book version of this story will not be censored, so go to my DA site for updates on it if interested in seeing the uncensored version of this DoTT fic. Thank you for your understanding. :)  
Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Early before the sun rose the next morning, Don was travelling to the eastern side of Manhattan. He wanted to see Cleo and make sure that he still had a job at her night club.

Thanks to Leo cutting his shoulders, he missed more work unnecessarily. He had to patch things up with Cleo, whom he believed was angry at him since she hadn't called once since he left two weeks ago.

But first, he stopped over at Dr. Weinter's lab to see how far the progress of the cure was going. He took the latest batch of serum Dr. Weinter's assistants had created yesterday to analyze. He had to make sure this batch was safe to consume like the ones before it.

He left the lab he used to check the serum since there was a student trying to concentrate on his own experiments. The guy was so near-sighted that he couldn't tell Don was a mutant Turtle creature in a lab coat.

He wasn't friendly at all and snarled whenever Don 'hmm'ed to himself while he was thinking. The biped terrapin didn't need any more hints that he wasn't welcomed.

No matter. Don didn't want anyone seeing him drinking the serum, which was indeed safe to drink. So he gladly went out into the hallways to devour the contents of the vials.

It burned his throat, but this serum seemed to keep the monstrous beast within him at bay so far. Even as he fought Leo those weeks ago, he didn't feel any stretching or tugging inside his gut.

That was an extremely stressful situation, but he didn't hyper mutate at all, not even a little bit. That made things hopeful for him. He could actually have a life without that monster sneaking up on him.

Taking three vials will last him a month or two, Don was sure. Just taking one kept him safe from 'the beast' for over two weeks. He chugged the liquid as fast as he could to get over the burning part as soon as possible.

As he swallowed more of this possible permanent cure, he sensed that someone was watching him. He looked down the hallway and saw Rose staring at him with great concern.

Surprised and ashamed, Don turned to go in the opposite direction. How much did she see? Was she spying on him?! What if she figured out he was having hyper mutation issues again?

Rose watched Don hurry away in his white lab coat after he hastily stuffed some glass vials into his pocket. She had seen him drink whatever was in those vials.

He must have gotten them from Dr. Weinter's lab, since her boss was the only one to use such excessively long vials.

She had come to labs bright and early to hopefully please Dr. Weinter by working hard and maybe he could convince Don to let her work on that new project.

Actually, she wanted to find out what that new project was so she could put an end to it should it be something evilly beneficial to Don's new girlfriend. Instead, she saw Don heavily consuming weird green liquid as if he needed it to stay alive.

Too curious to shy away from her ex-lover, she went after him to investigate. She called out his name, but he seemed to walk even faster. Impetuous and inquisitive as her brother Ben Chaplin, she chased after Don.

She caught up to him as he irritably waited for an elevator door to open. Why were those stupid things so slow?! He planned to get into one and have it take him away from Rose and hopefully get her to stop following him.

The stairs would be a waste of time since she would see him going down them, even if he ninja-jumped most of the flights. He sighed disgustedly in defeat as she came near him.

"Donatello, didn't you hear me calling your name? I want to talk to you." Rose said, trying to touch his arm, but he moved out of her reach.

"I _**don't**_ want to talk to you." Don scowled, moving even further away from her. Just then an elevator door opened and he wasted no time getting inside. Rose pursued after him into the small booth.

"I'm going to call security if you don't leave right now." Don threatened, narrowing his eyes. Rose bit her lip. She had to find out what he had been drinking. If he wouldn't tell her, well then, she had only one other option.

She gave him a strange look like she was about to do something sneaky. She sucked up all the courage she had and like lightning, she reached into his pocket for the vials and grabbed them quickly.

"_**HEY!**_" Don cried as she scooted out of the elevator booth just as the door was closing fast. He grabbed the edge of the door just before it completely closed.

He had more than enough strength to pry the door open, but he stopped as he heard the machinery groaning against his might. Scowling, he backed away and crossed his arms.

Karai would probably have a fit should she need to pay to have the elevator system repaired. He couldn't damage her property, he'd look bad. Plus, Leo would go nuts if he ruined any of his precious hussy's things.

The ninja in Don persuaded him to sneak back to where Rose did her work at. He would find an opportunity to get those vials back without her knowing and especially before she had a chance to analyze them herself.

He waited until the elevator stopped at the top floor where he wanted to go in order to get to the rooftops and with an exasperated tired sigh, took the stairs back down to the fifteenth floor.

Leaping down by grabbing the banisters helped get him descend the entire hundred or so floors quickly. Once on the correct floor where Rose was working on the A-kline project, Don paused at the steps' doorway to sniff.

She wasn't in the hallways. Nobody was, in fact. Good. He stealthily entered the dim hallways and used the shadows to his advantage. Karai didn't see much sense lighting her other buildings with excessive light, so most of the hallways here only had a few of their lights on.

Karai didn't like to waste resources and despised high electric bills, so most of her workers in the secondary base building had to do without much light in the hallways. This worked well in the ninja Turtle's favor.

Don was glad the sun wasn't up yet, it would ruin his cover. He silently made his way over to the A-kline project rooms and checked them to see which one Rose was in.

Of course, the second to last one he checked happened to be where Rose was at. She was bent over a microscope near a computer. Don felt a sinking sensation of doom within his gut. She was ALREADY looking at what was in those vials!

He wasn't able to get all the serum out of them, so Rose had more than enough to discover what that light green liquid really was. She would easily recognize what it could be since she had worked on the early cure before with Don.

Nevertheless, he had to return those vials to Dr. Weinter's lab. There was a impression near the door where a water fountain used to be. Squeezing into this hiding place, Don rapped on the door with his bo and waited for Rose to come out.

"Yes?" she said, opening the door. Seeing no one, she came out into the hallway to look. "Huh? Hello? Who's there?" Thankfully she went down the opposite side where Don was hiding and he snuck into the room undetected.

Confused and a bit worried, Rose returned to the room to look at those vials more. But when she went to her desk, they were gone! "What in the world?!" she cried, bewildered.

A soft click at the windows made her look there and she thought she saw a hand closing one shut. She rushed over there and looked sideways down against the glass. She caught a glimpse of a figure disappearing over the side of the building.

"...Don...?" she whispered, feeling disconcerted. Did he just sneak in here to get those vials back? That had to be it or ghosts, which her brother warned her to never believe in.

She was glad she had swabbed some of that liquid on a Q-tip which she had stuck into her pocket. She went back to the microscope and computer to find out what she saw Don drinking earlier.

It took her most of the morning to late afternoon to find out what it was in between her work on the A-kline project. "Oh no..." she said softly to herself.

According to her readings, that liquid was a serum that resembled the cure she helped create back on Kameko's island with Don. She recalled how desperately he consumed this liquid early that morning.

He was mutating again. Into that...that thing Bishop wanted him to be so he could control and use him as a weapon... Rose could never forget the heart-attack she nearly had when she first saw Don as a real monster.

That beast haunted her nightmares with guilt and turmoil. In a way, she had helped Bishop force Don to transform into that creature.

She could have stopped her brother from creating an anti-cure and giving it to Bishop to use it on Don, but she was too mortified to do anything back then.

She figured if she didn't care, the guilt would go away. But the guilt didn't go away. She did care.

"I have to help you, Don." she said softly. "I have to help you create a real cure this time. I owe it to you." Rose's conscience would not let her rest until she could correct the wrongs she did to Don.

That project had nothing to do with benefiting Don's new girlfriend; it was a seriously dire attempt for him to remain human.

He was a poor creature who had a chance to be human and wanted to stay that way, not regress back to his animal roots which were now feral and savage thanks to the hyper mutation disorder.

A strong feeling of pity and guilt stabbed Rose's heart as she realized this. Don may have been a red-earred slider turtle once before, but he was part human now. He was no longer simply an animal, but a real human being- a person in dire need of help.

If she was any kind of human herself, she would do everything in her power to stop his hyper mutation problems. Rose could not be afraid of the monster that lurked within the 'man' she loved. She had to save him, whatever the costs.

* * *

Mona Lisa sat up in bed as she read a book while Raph slept beside her snoring like a chainsaw. She had been feeding him the precure serum she made for Don and over the course of a week, Raph returned to his normal size.

His claws were easier to groom, thus not as sharp as scythes like before. Another week went by fast and Raph stopped taking the precure since he hated the taste of it.

He complained that it tasted like burning acid. He didn't seem to be growing anymore, so Mona Lisa didn't force him to take it. He should be ok now, she hoped.

She had somewhat gotten used to his insatiable appetite for love-making and after a good long fondling session, he would fall asleep and she could finally have some quiet time to herself.

She cringed as Raph snorted loudly in his sleep and she pushed on him to make him turn over. Ok, maybe 'quiet' wasn't the word for it. But at least she could catch up on her romance novel.

The lovers within the story were, for once, not just like every other couple she read in these books with a jealous ex-lover trying to break the couple up.

Instead, they were hiding from the female character's family who wanted the male character dead. She wondered what would happen to John and Sally in this thrilling novel.

Hours passed and eventually, Raph stirred and began to wake up. He was hungry again. Sighing a bit, Mona Lisa reluctantly put her six hundred paged novel away and got up to feed him.

She would have him go feed himself, but somehow he conveniently didn't know where everything was even after two weeks. Raph liked being waited hand on foot, something like how a king would be treated.

Little did Raph know was that she wasn't going to let him get away with this lazy behavior for long!

As she went about the kitchen making him a hearty meal, he hugged her from behind to show his appreciation and love. Having a lover much younger than her made Mona Lisa feel a bit strange.

But Raph proved to her that age didn't matter when it came to very mature mutant Turtles. While Mona did her best not to care about their age difference, she worried if Raph would have eyes for a younger girl over time.

She had seen that happen so many times before. Worst of all, it already happened to her. When she was halfway to getting her Master's degree in college, she met a guy who looked like her age, but he was barely fifteen at the time.

She thought he was the one and everything, but in the end, she discovered he wanted a younger girl in his life and not her. That was when she found out he was just a teen and not the so-called professor-in-training that he said he was.

While her situation with Raph was very different, he still was much younger than her. She was fairly sure she could trust him not to have eyes for a younger girl later on, but you just never know. She trusted the other guy and look what happened to her.

No, she couldn't dwell on such doubt and worries. Raph was much different than the others. He's a Ninja Turtle for crying out loud! He wouldn't think the same as other guy who only played with Mona Lisa's heart.

'Raph loves me for me. Heck, I'm going to have a baby with him! This time, it's a forever thing.' she thought as she watched the red clad Turtle sloppily eat his food. 'He's so cute...' she thought with half-lidded eyes.

After finishing his meal and wiping his beak clean, Raph grinned. "Alright, time for more sex!" he teased, causing his lover to stand up in objection.

"Raphael! We've BEEN messing around for days! Can't we do something else?" she cried, blowing her bangs out of her face. She liked it and all, but not every single day for weeks on end.

"Heh heh! Just teasing ya, darling." he joked, winking. "Lets you and me go out tonight. See a movie or something. I know! Let's swing by the Lair so I can get my new hog. We'll ride all night and drink beer! Whattaya say, hon?"

Mona Lisa put her arms around his thick neck and passionately kissed him. Then she leaned her cheek against his as he held her, rocking gently.

"That all sounds great, Raph." she purred. He smiled and kissed her back. "Let's not waste any more time then. Off we go!" he said happily, picking her up and pretended to 'fly' her out of the kitchen humming sound effects of an airplane as she squealed with laughter.

At the Lair, only Mikey was home, passed out from drinking all day on the couch. Raph kicked the couch to wake his fat baby brother and he tumbled to the messy floor covered in snack foods.

"Hey, Lard-Butt!" Raph snapped, using a nickname that they called each other sometimes.

The red clad Turtle believed guys had more fun since they hardly took offense when they trash-talked to each other. Insulting name-calling was somehow odd displays of affection between the Turtle brothers.

"**_OW!_** **What the shell?!** Oh, it's just you, Fat-Head." Mikey said and climbed back on the couch. "Whattaya want?"

"Where's my d-mned hog? You know, the new one Donnie made for me a while back? Where the h-ll is it?" Raph said in an overly mean tone. He reserved that tone just for Mikey.

"H-ll, like I know where the f-ck that stupid thing is! Leave me alone! I got this wicked headache!" Mikey swore, covering his head with a cushion. His older brother scanned the room and saw empty beer bottles everywhere.

Mikey was drinking again since he was upset about Angel, who still was in a coma at the hospital. Goodfellow told him that the doctors didn't know when she'd pull through. This put Mikey in a bad mood so he drank his sorrows away.

"Eehh, you useless sh-t..." Raph growled, giving up. "I better not find out you used it or anything, or I'm gonna raise some serious shell! Got it?" he scowled, glaring.

Mikey gave him their version of the finger which prompted Raph to punch him hard in the shoulder with his fist. The orange clad Turtle grabbed his shoulder in obvious pain.

"_**OW-OWWW!**_ D-mmit Raph! You as-hole! That really hurt!!!" Mikey yelled, chucking an empty pizza box at his older brother as he left. Raph went to where Mona Lisa waited outside.

"Sorry about the wait. Mikey lost my bike, so we'll hav'ta walk. Hope that's alright and everythin'." Raph apologized shrugging. Mona linked arms with him and rested her head against his shoulder.

"It's alright, Raphael. I like walking." she said, looking up for a moment to tug his sweatshirt hoodie forward more. Raph sighed tiredly. He really wanted to ride on that motorcycle with Mona Lisa tonight. Where did he put it last?

One of his brothers must have used it otherwise it would be in the 'garage' where he left it. The night was becoming slow and boring as they waited in line to see an action adventure flick.

Raph felt cheated after seeing that so-called 'action' movie. He had seen more action watching Leo brush and floss his teeth for shell's sake! He was so starved for action that he hoped that he would get mugged or attacked, something!

He left Mona in the theater to go to the bathroom, which he did outside the building in the back where some nice bushes were. After finishing his call to nature, he left the bushes to go back to Mona.

Joy rushed through him when a small gang of hoodlums surrounded him just then. Oh yeah! Butt-kicking time! Raph cracked his knuckles anxiously, grinning.

"Ok, Hoodie, cough up the cash." said a punk with a bright lime green vest, tapping a wooden club in his hand.

"I got yer cash, right here!" Raph answered, socking the punk in the face and he fell backwards into a parked car. A sudden breeze blew off Raph's grey hood and the other gangsters gasped in shock, but not in the usual shock one would expect.

"Jeez oh man, it's HIM! Donatello!" cried one punk with a spiked 'dog collar' choker on his neck.

"Let's get outta here!" squeaked another and the teenaged thugs ran for it.

Raph was confused to why these street hoods would be so frightened of his wimpy baby brother Don, so he snagged the one with the 'dog collar' choker before he could disappear into the dark alleys.

"Alright, Dog-boy, spill! Why the shell are you and your punk buddies so scared of Donatello?" Raph asked, shaking the teen roughly. The punk stopped pleading for his life and stared.

"Yous ain't him?" he asked, bewildered.

"That wimp? H-ll, no!" Raph replied and the teen began to laugh.

"Wimp?! Boy, you sure are stupid! He butchered Creek and that guy was a mountain! Donatello's got so many street creds, you'd gotta be insane to tangle wif' him! H-ll, he's the meanest killer the Purple Dragons have as a member!" the 'dog-boy' said, revealing plenty of info.

"What the f-ck did you just say?! H-ll, you better not be messin' with me about Donnie being a d-mned Purple Dragon, Dog-boy!" Raph snarled, raising his fist above the teen's face as he held him up by the collar of his shirt.

"Donnie?! Ha haha! What's that mean? Is he your lover or sumthin'?" the punk laughed, setting a rage bomb off inside Raph.

The teen's laughter was cut short as he nearly vomited from Raph's fist repetitively hammering into his gut. The Turtle dropped and kicked him across the alley. The punk crashed into a dumpster, dazed with blinding agony.

No...no..._**NO!**_ Donnie couldn't be a Purple Dragon! He just couldn't be one of those monsters! Raph refused to believe it. Don may dance like a man whore at that hu-animal night club, but he would never betray their brotherhood!

What if Leo caught wind about this? He'd never listen to reason and believe the worst about Donnie. Shell, he would be disowned and everything! Kicked out from the family!

As much as Raph saw Donnie as a geeky wimp of a brother, he still was his little brother. And deep down inside, he couldn't deny that he loved him dearly. There just was no way that Donatello was a traitor!

Raph thought things over and decided no matter what, he would keep his faith in Donnie. A brother who made him a righteous chopper and give him soothing soup when he was sick couldn't be a low-down double-crosser.

When Raph got stuck in a manhole, Don was the only one who helped him then and Raph never forgot that. Amazingly he didn't tell Leo or Mikey about Raph's embarrassing mishap, which he was grateful for.

Leo and especially Mikey would never let him hear the end of it. He accidentally brought his arms down wrong when he jumped feet first into the manhole, which happened to be overly smaller than most.

Raph's recently pumped up biceps and wide shoulders got caught as he went through and thankfully, Donnie aided him out of that painful mess. He just couldn't be a Purple Dragon, no way!

Besides, Don didn't have any tattoos of that purple chicken on his skin, so he couldn't be one anyway. Raph had to have a serious one on one talk with his little bro soon...

* * *

After spending most of the day with Cleo at her townhouse, Don was pleased. Cleo wasn't angry with him afterall and whenever he could come to work was still alright with her.

Cleo usually slept during the day, so Don slept with her on her queen sized water bed. The purple clad Turtle enjoyed napping on the water bed since he was an aquatic type of terrapin.

Don cuddled Cleo close to him while they slept, making her remember how her husband Bert used to hold her. Before Bert and their son Chad were killed in the airplane crash, Cleo had an open marriage with Bert.

Chad hated all his mom's extra lovers and chased them all away, which made it hard for her to find new player friends. Without them there, Cleo was indeed sad, but she was a strange warped lady and liked the new freedom she had with men.

She was waiting to find a 'new Bert' to call her next husband and was nearly about to label Don as such. Once he offered her a ring, she would give her body to him completely, but not before then. He had to commit first, not she.

She liked how Don obeyed and didn't force himself upon her. If she said no, he would listen, just like Bert. Due to his obedient nature to her, she rewarded him orally and she wasn't talking about kisses here.

While Cleo was pleasuring him before she had to go to work in two hours, Don's cel phone rang. Groaning in disgust at the interruption, he answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" He nuzzled Cleo as she kissed his neck while her right hand worked on his tail.

"Donatello? Are you okay?" Rose's voice shocked him. How dare she call him when he told her that he had it with her?

"I **_told_** you, I **_don't_** want to talk to you..!" Don said dangerously in a low angry tone.

"I... I-I just wanted to make sure you were alright... That's all..." Rose replied, feeling sadness overtaking her. She heard Don scoff contemptuously.

"Why would **_you_** even _care_? You _never_ cared about me, so **_don't_** call me again!" Don smacked his cel phone shut and slammed it on the table near the bed.

"Who was that?" Cleo asked. She was stroking him expertly, but he got up, feeling too agitated to enjoy her caressing. He stood in the middle of the room, disgusted. Why won't Rose leave him alone?!

He wanted to just move on and forget her, but nooooo! She had to keep coming back with more lies to trick him with...to hurt him with. She couldn't suddenly care about him when she never did in the first place!

"No one."

"Really? She sounded very pretty. Maybe I could use her as a dancer at my club." Cleo said, who was so open-minded, it was frightening.

"No, you wouldn't like her. Trust me." Don replied, then sighed hard. "Cleo, I don't think I can dance tonight. I just...don't feel up to it."

"It's alright, Sweetie. Come back when you wanna dance. That's what my customers really want to see afterall. Real desire in the dancer's performance." Cleo stretched and then snapped her fingers.

"Oh! Whoever just called you, tell her she'd be great in my friend Barry's porno movies. She has a really soft feathery voice, Barry _loves_ girls with sexy voices like that."

"How can you even _suggest_ such a **_disgusting_** thing like that for her?!" Don shouted forcefully, appalled. The thought of Rose showing off her body, the same body she had only shown to him, to other men enraged him.

Without realizing it, he voiced out his own feelings for Rose. Feelings he was desperately trying to do away with for the sake of moving on.

Why couldn't he just forget about those feelings?! Rose didn't deserve him! She hurt him terribly and he wasn't going to give into those feelings just so she could get off scot-free and unfettered to hurt him again whenever she wanted.

He had to get her to understand how much she hurt him. Until she did, he wouldn't give her the time of day. He needed solid proof from her that she harbored unconditional love for him otherwise he wanted nothing to do with her.

Cleo, on the other hand, praised him for his dancing and pleased his body very well. It was fun, but Don didn't see much true love here. He was trying to ignore that fact, not wanting to believe that Cleo might not be the one for him.

He didn't want to believe that his love life could be doomed for failure. The right one HAD to be out there. But where was she? Don feared he may never find her IF she even existed...

So instead of dwelling on such gloom, he indulged himself into Cleo's world. The fame and sexual thrills strung him along until he could no longer deny that this new life was not healthy for him.

Leo's extreme opposition to it was a clear sign to this. But Don couldn't give up his newfound fame. At least not yet.

"Whoa there! I didn't mean any offense. If she's a relative or something, then I'm sorry. I just thought she'd like to make some money, that's all."

"There are other ways to make money without selling your body..." Don grumbled under his breath, feeling so confused and angry. How can he love one woman while caring about another in the same way?

Though it was normal for a male terrapin to have many mates, Don's human side disliked that sort of thing. Animals fooled around with countless mates for the sake of breeding, not true love.

He wanted one special mate, not empty 'love' filled with deception and dirty lust. Self-consciously, he was trying to prove himself not an inferior animal, but a somewhat decent human being.

Whether he was trying to prove such to himself or Rose, he didn't know anymore. He just had to prove it regardless. It was bad enough he danced the way did for money and liked it.

He didn't want to sink lower. Don did have a line that he wouldn't cross and he realized he was nearing that line more than ever lately. He had to really be careful and choose one lady soon.

Unfortunately, he worried that Cleo may fire him if he ever dumped her. He still needed that job, as degrading as it may be. Don deemed it a fun exciting job to those within Cleo's world, but those outside it, he was ashamed to mention it.

Cleo sauntered up to Don and attempted to lure him back to the water bed for some more fun. She was feeling overly amorous as of late since she deemed Don good enough to be obedient husband material.

"Donnie-Baby... Come back to bed..." she purred, running her hands over his muscular arms and seductively dabbed kisses on his neck and collarbone.

Giving in to his bodily desires, he returned to the bed. But he also went back there to see if he felt any love, any _real_ love from her. He was willing to give his all to her, but was she willing to do the same for him?

After several strong relieving releases, Don's body felt good, but his heart was terribly numb. Besides the dirty lust and pleasure, he didn't feel much else.

Definitely no true love was coming from Cleo and it troubled him. Why didn't he realize this before?

Rose had somehow unearthed his long buried feelings for her and they were haunting him, making him see things he didn't want to before.

Cleo was alright for Don when he walked on the wild side, but she wasn't a forever mate like he had hoped. He hated to bring this into his mind, but he felt she may be just using him to rake in more money for her night club.

Saddened by the inevitable truth facing him, Don left Cleo's townhouse feeling lost. She was everything Rose wasn't, while Rose was everything Cleo wasn't.

As he traveled back home, a cold rain began to fall and it poured relentlessly upon him. He hid under a ledge on a fire escape and retreated as much as he could into his shell while he waited the rain out and thought.

He didn't know what to do anymore. He liked Cleo for her wild kinky ways in bed, but now he realized that he couldn't spend the rest of his life with her. His heart was still tied to Rose.

The big question was did either of them truly love him? He didn't really know and it hurt him to no end.

He had no idea who to pick. Maybe he should just get rid of them both and start all over again anew. He was gaining some valuable experience from all this heartbreak.

At least it wasn't a complete loss. He knew what to watch out for more so now. But before he would consider dumping them both, he had to test Rose more first. If she failed his tests, then he would put her out his mind forever.

So far, Cleo had failed his first test and it bothered him deeply. How could he have messed around so long with a woman who didn't have the love he was looking for in a mate? Why was he being so stupid by following his libido instead of his brain?

For Don, a super genius who made MENSA members look like idiots, being stupid was the highest degradation he could suffer. His main characteristic was intelligence.

Yet, he was being controlled by his own carnal appetite. Again. That really worried him as that addiction was nearly impossible for him to overcome.

Did he want to be a horny player or a respectable man of decency? Did he want baseless dirty pleasure or true love? He wanted the latter to both those questions, yet his body was still too tempted by filthy pleasure to walk the higher path.

That was why he wasn't immediately getting rid of Cleo. As far as he knew, she only messed around with him in bed. Part of him still believed she loved him even though it really looked like she didn't.

It was like his brain wanted to be with Rose, while his body wanted to be with Cleo. It drove him crazy inside to desire two women at once. They seemed so right and then again, they seemed so wrong too. It confused him to death.

He had to choose one or none. He'd rather try to keep one instead of looking for another female. He wasn't up to hunting for a new girlfriend anyway.

Nor did he want to be single again. Loneliness was something he couldn't really get used to, not after experiencing Rose and Cleo. For now, he would have to pick one of them. But which one?

The rain slowly turned into a moderate drizzle and the purple clad Turtle came out of his shell to continue his journey. He caught a glimpse of Karai's secondary base and a pang of guilt hit him.

He was so rude to Rose in attempts to shut her out from his mind and out of his life. Though she had done the same to him, he didn't have to stoop to her level and do it back to her.

What if she did truly love him afterall? Would he be throwing away his only chance for true love? Was he wrong to want her to suffer as he did? Yet again, he didn't have answers, but he could get some if he tested her.

He went to the building across the street from Karai's secondary base and waited on the rooftop until he saw Rose leaving the place to go home. Don went to street level to track her undetected until he decided to show himself to her.

He trailed her until they came to a secluded part of town near a park. There it wouldn't be easy for passers-by to notice Don's appearance in the shadows of the trees which grew close to the sidewalks.

Sometimes Rose took a cab to work. But lately she stopped and opted to walk home to be more green and friendly to the environment. Walking was obviously cheaper than a cab and healthier too. Even in the rain.

Rose went on her way holding an umbrella to keep from getting wet. She kept smelling a familiar scent. Thanks to her reptilian DNA upgrade, her sense of smell was heightened as was her sight.

Dismissing her new abilities, she tried not to remember how mean Don was as he yelled at her over the phone. She was discouraged by his surly behavior and knew she deserved it. She wanted to still be his friend at least, but even that seemed like a pipe dream at best.

Suddenly, a dark figure jumped down in front of her, startling her. She let out a cry of fright and dropped her umbrella. Then she realized it was Don! She saw intense hurt in his eyes, but it wasn't the same kind of hurt she saw before.

He picked her umbrella up and held it over her head, surprising her immensely. She thought he didn't like her anymore and didn't want to talk to her. So, why was he here and being so nice all of sudden?

"Donatello?" Rose said, her soft feathery voice hinting her deep confusion. "Why... Why are you here?"

"I want to talk to you." Don answered, coming closer to stand beside her.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 34!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Will Rose pass Don's tests of true love or fail? How will things be between Raph and Don when they discuss Don's Purple Dragon membership? What will happen should ever Leo find out about it?  
Will Angel come out of her coma or will Mikey lose another loved one?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	34. Don's Journey Thru Light & Darkness

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.34

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: I plan to continue censoring the swearing here to cater to those who dislike swearing in fics. The comic book version of this story will not be censored, so go to my DA site for updates on it if interested in seeing the uncensored version of this DoTT fic. Thank you for your understanding. :)  
NEW: Also, don't miss out on the 'Passion Series' add-on versions of DoTT! See my DA Gallery for details!  
Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Without being seen, Don scaled Rose's apartment building until he reached her suite which was on the third floor. He waited for her to open the sliding glass door at her balcony.

She pulled back the curtains covering the doors and unlocked them. Even though Don was soaking wet and dripping all over the Oriental rugs in her bedroom, she didn't care. She was just so happy that he wanted to talk to her again.

Why he had a sudden change of heart confused her like crazy, but she was glad that he did. She could have an easier time proving her feelings to him now.

She grabbed two thick body towels from her bathroom and handed him one as she dried his shell. Don remained silent as Rose went to work drying him with her towel.

Her gentle tender patting and wiping reminded him of how things were before she knew that he had been a real turtle once. When he was mutated, he didn't consider himself just a turtle any longer.

He was something different entirely. This little red-earred slider believed that he was a real human ever since he mutated. And he inadvertently expected others, well those who understood his situation, to see him as a person as well, **_not_** as an animal.

He thought Rose was one of those who understood him, but when she discovered that he had been an animal made human-like and not a human to begin with, she dumped him.

On Kameko's island, Don was given his own indoor pool at the mansion. He made great use of it with Rose after a fun day's worth of work in the lab. Those were the times when he thought Rose understood him and he couldn't be happier.

It wasn't long before they were skinny-dipping in that pool, well Rose was since Don's basically naked all the time anyway. It was there when they gave each other their bodies in what Don believed was true love in its purest form.

For the first time in his life, Don got to experience 'the ultimate pleasure' as his brothers called it, something they believed they would never get to indulge in due to the obvious difficulty in obtaining willing mates.

Yet, they got to have that 'ultimate pleasure' despite all odds. Don was so happy to have found Rose, but now he was torn. She had thrown him away for being what he was, but now she wanted him back.

Unfortunately for her, he had moved on...or so he thought. He still had feelings for her even though she had essentially dumped him for a reason he thought was very unfair. He couldn't help that he was a terrapin before.

He figured that their relationship was all over. So he buried those feelings he had for Rose, hoping they would die off eventually as he moved on. Then he found Cleo (or more like she found him).

Somehow those buried feelings for Rose resurfaced regardless of his efforts to put them out of his mind and heart. Don realized why he allowed himself to walk on the wild side back then, when he normally wouldn't have.

He was trying to find a way to forget his old geeky science life, which happened to remind him of Rose and the things they did together.

So he returned to his other lifestyle, the very naughty one he relished in as a young impetuously carnal teenager. Along with Mikey, they used to roam the rooftops late at night in search of pretty ladies undressing foolishly in front of their windows.

They ogled for nights on end until Splinter found out. He mercilessly forced them to train for days to punish them for this indecent mischief. Leo kept his eye on them to help Splinter.

With the aid of Leo, Splinter taught Mikey and Don a lesson in being respectable and not so shameful with excessive lectures and nagging. They didn't see the surface world for almost three months because of that episode.

Don sighed. He thought he wouldn't be like that again, but after Rose dumped him, he was at his lowest point and weak to old temptations.

Temptations that he hoped would ease the pain in his bleeding heart and help him forget the devastation he was left with...

"There, you should be much more dry now, Donatello." Rose said in that whispery voice of hers.

Don grimaced, biting his lip. A rush of desire hit him after she spoke. That sexy voice was what drew him to her in the beginning. It was so incredibly alluring that he practically had no resistance for it.

Don wanted to tell her how he felt, but with everything that had happened between them, it was so difficult. It felt like they were in the men's room all over again, awkwardness dominated the atmosphere.

Rose grew concerned since Don wasn't speaking. It bothered her. He said he wanted to talk to her, yet he was saying nothing. She recalled the terrible hurt in his eyes when they were out in the rain as she had dropped her umbrella.

Maybe...something happened to him? She had to get to the bottom of this and offer her support to help him get through it, whatever it may be. She guessed it probably had something to do with his hyper mutation disorder.

Back at Area 51, Rose remembered how upset Bishop was with how many men he lost to Don's claws after he mutated into that creature. Though she knew Don was a ninja warrior and he had to kill sometimes, she was sure he didn't want to.

Maybe he had slaughtered more people here in New York and was devastated from it? That had to be it!

It was no wonder why he wanted Dr. Weinter and his science team to create a cure so quickly. She had seen how desperately he consumed that serum like his life depended on it...

"Don..? Are you alright? Did something happen? Did you... Did you mutate again?" she asked, standing next to him and lightly touched his forearm.

He looked at her with a wide-eyed expression of shock, which was shortly followed by humiliation as he turned away in extreme shame.

How could she have found out in that short amount of time? He took back the vials before she had enough time to fully analyze their contents. He didn't get it.

Well, somehow she knew and it embarrassed him like crazy. He would actually turn into the animal she hated, making what she had said about him seem true afterall.

Unable to stand the mortification, Don started to head for the balcony to leave in defeat. There was no way she'd want him back knowing he could transform into a mindless savage who hungered for human flesh at any time. Again.

'Why am I even wasting my time trying to salvage a relationship that'll never work anyway?!' Don thought bitterly, humiliated and angry that she knew of his most shameful devastating dilemma.

Well, she knew about it before, but Karai kept going on and on about how she had cured the Turtles and they were now her assassins to repay her.

So, Rose probably believed like everyone else did, even the terrapin ninjas themselves, that the Turtles were out of danger from that hyper mutation disorder.

Having Rose know that Don still suffered from that devastating disorder, shamed the poor terrapin warrior to death. He felt so stupid for even coming to Rose's apartment. Everything was ruined. She'd always fear him...

Rose raced to get in front of him and held her arms out, blocking his way out. He tried pushing past her, but she grabbed onto him, pressing her head against his chest as she embraced him hard.

"Please, Don! Don't leave! Don't worry, I don't have any qualms against you for having that mutation issue! You're not a monster! You're a victim of that disorder and I want to help you!" she cried, holding onto him tightly.

"...Please... Please don't be ashamed... I understand now... Just let me help you...please..." Rose began to sob, comprehending what it must be like for him to be turning into a mindless beast and seemingly have no way out of it due to a lack of a real cure.

And with no one there to care or help him through it. How horrible she had been to him! She knew about this problem beforehand, but she did nothing even though she did care. She let her fear control her instead.

Rose shared his pain by finally realizing all this. Just hoping Karai's scientists would fix Don's hyper mutation problem was the easy selfish way out, expecting someone else to take care of everything instead.

Rose could have helped still if she was any kind of decent caring person. But she didn't and sobbed harder when she again acknowledged how utterly rotten she had been to Don.

He suffered so much because of her; she really understood that more than ever. She prayed she could make things right again somehow.

Maybe finding the actual cure would be a start? She wanted to do anything for him now. Anything to make his life right again.

"I didn't want you to find out... For obvious reasons..." Don said quietly and gently pulled away from her. He walked over to her bed and sat on it, leaned over with his head bowed.

Rose stared at his sullen posture with a pained look of empathy in her eyes. A pair of tears slid down her cheeks as she blinked to clear her blurry vision. She was the cause of his pain and the guilt was killing her.

Wallowing in self-pity and whimpering about it wouldn't help Don, so Rose resolved to be strong. It would be the only way for her to help him. She couldn't remain spiritless from her mistakes. She had to correct them at any cost.

She went to him and sat close to him as silence overtook them once more. She used the moment to regain her composure and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Don, I'm so sorry..." she told him. He gave her a short look and then faced the glass doors at her balcony.

"I wish I could believe you." he replied, his hurt feelings rushed back including his anger. "You really..._destroyed_ me when you said those horrible things to me..."

"I know, I was wrong. I was so utterly iniquitous to label you as I did... But I don't think like that anymore. Really I don't..."

The sincerity in Rose's voice caused Don to look at her again with some leniency. But his ruined heart reminded him to be wary. Very wary.

"How can I be sure that you have changed?" he asked testily. "Before you said you truly loved me, and then the next moment you wanted me out of your life." Don paused before adding something else.

"If you really did love me...you wouldn't have let _anything_ get in the way of it..."

A long silence fell upon them then since Rose was unable to think of anything to say to that. He did have a point there. She shifted uncomfortably on her bed, remembering how much fun it was to be on one with Don before.

They would try and count all the weaves in their pillows with magnifying glasses or pretend to look for fiber evidence to solve a crime. And of course, make love.

Now they were at odds with each other. She was attempting to correct the wrongs she had done to him while he remained bitter and wary of her.

She didn't blame him for behaving this way. So far, it wasn't looking too good for Rose's mission of reconciliation. It seemed like Don just couldn't forgive her. At least, not yet.

"I've got to go. I'm too upset to talk to you right now." Don said suddenly and stood up. Rose flew to her feet and hurried to slow his departure.

"Don, wait!" She stood partly in his way as he started to open the glass balcony doors. "Tomorrow's Halloween. I was hoping you could help me take some kids I teach at science camp trick-or-treating."

"They're coming tomorrow to the labs after trick-or-treating for a party we're having there too." Rose paused, noticing he still had his back to her. He might not be listening to her again, so she had to talk fast.

"Give me the chance to prove myself to you tomorrow. If you want, we can start over as friends. Please..." she pleaded.

Don turned and looked deep into her blue-green eyes carefully. He didn't see any form of deception in them. Hmm... He sighed as he turned away from April's 'twin' and closed his eyes.

He was still testing her, so alright. They could start anew as friends until she proved herself to him.

"What time?" he asked simply, confusing her a bit.

"Huh?"

"What time do you want me to come so I can help you with those kids' trick-or-treating?" Don inquired, trying to ignore his anger. He couldn't let a bunch of budding young scientists miss out on having some real intellectual fun on Halloween.

He could actually fulfill his desire to be a professor to those children on the only night he could go out in public as his true self and not be ridiculed or feared. Plus, it would be a good idea to protect them as they trick-or-treated as well.

Under it all, Don deemed it worthwhile to give in to Rose's offer so he could protect her really. Although she had scorned him, he didn't want her to get attacked or killed.

Halloween easily attracted all kinds to the streets at night. He couldn't let her take those little future scientists out all on her own. It wouldn't be safe.

With all his Purple Dragon street creds, no thug would dare mess with him. Even top ranking rival gangs spoke in fearful respect of Don, though he didn't relish being 'top dog' in the gang world.

But it was indeed handy for keeping innocent civilians safe. When he patrolled the rooftops alone and encountered a crime in progress, all he had to do was show his face to the criminals and they would recognize him and flee.

He didn't need to fight or even say anything, the thugs would just flee in fear instantly. Don did like that part. Hun's overly zealous boasting of Don's unmatched death skills spread quickly through the underworld like wild fire.

The take down of Creek and others like him, sky-rocketed Don's status through the roof. Don didn't want Rose finding out about his gang connections.

Then again, it certainly would be a true test of her love for him if she did find out. The same went with his pole dancing job as well. He almost felt like letting her know all about those things anyway, just to see how she would react.

Would she be appalled or still stand by him? If she had more faith in him than his own older brother did, then he'd be a bit more considerate towards her.

If she believed in him despite all these negative things, then he would be convinced that she did change like she said she did and still loved him.

If she judged him in any way whatsoever, then he would really be done with her. He could not be with someone who would only see him for his faults. He wanted a mate who loved him for him, naughty imperfections and all.

"The kids will be dropped off by bus at the labs around four o'clock so they can go trick-or-treating early. I'll wait for you half an hour before that in the lobby, ok?" Rose felt much happy relief wash over her as he agreed with a nod.

She watched him make his way up the side of the apartment complex to hop the rooftops. Quickly she took a shower and ate a light dinner before turning in early. She wanted to be ready tomorrow with a special gift for him.

* * *

While Don reluctantly headed home, he heard the oh-so familiar sounds of a mugging. The cries of two victims being robbed echoed loudly from a poorly lit large parking lot across the street.

The purple clad terrapin ninja leapt from the building he was on to a broken lamppost and used it to swing down to the sidewalk. He was still a good distance away from the mugging though and it him some time to reach the victims.

Three thugs were ganging up on a man with a young girl. The man was wearing fancy expensive duds and the robbers were searching for his wallet while they tore his diamond encrusted wedding ring from his finger.

"No! That's an heirloom!" the guy cried and had his jaw kicked shut by one of the thugs. The man screamed in distressed agony as he held his face.

"Daddy!" cried the girl, but a thug punched her in the face, sending her sprawling onto the asphalt. She was knocked out when her head hit the ground.

"**Leave them alone!**" Don yelled, still hidden in the shadows. The thugs gave the rich man a few last parting kicks and punches before they moved in on their new prey.

"H-ll, you don't wanna mess with us, b-tch!" Rally spat, talking big.

"We're the Iceatopes, man! We OWN these streets!" Jay announced, doing a gang sign to prove that they were who they claimed to be.

The males approached one another and stepped into the light of a street lamp. The thugs and mutant terrapin recognized each other quickly.

"_**YOU!**_" Profat-Daddy bellowed and began to yank his pistol from his jacket. He tried to fire it, but Don kicked the gun out of his hand before he could.

Rally and Jay tried to attack Don, but he did one of Leo's signature moves and split-kicked them down to the asphalt. Profat attempted to punch the Turtle, but Don back-flipped away from him easily.

Out of habit, Don took a fighting stance with all the grace and beauty he possessed as a highly skilled ninja. The three thugs charged at Don and he brought Jay and Rally down to their knees with some perfectly aimed mini shurikens.

Profat was too well 'armored' with a thick layer of lard to be stopped completely that way. So when he came close enough, Don jumped over his head doing a hard forward-flip and grabbed the thug's shoulders at the same time as he sailed over the man.

The chunky goon went for quite a ride as Don tossed him once his green feet hit the ground. The thug flew into the lamppost face first with a loud clang and he swore every curse word in the book as he struggled to stand back up.

"You guys are complete idiots." Don told the defeated groaning criminals. "My PD creds should be more than enough to send you morons packing. I guess stupidity loves pain."

Profat and his pals were unaware that Hun's so-called super weapon was actually this Turtle. They thought the guy Hun kept boasting about was someone else and not Don. They scoffed at him and called him a liar.

"You ain't Hun's Deliverer of Death!" Rally shouted, picking a metal star out of his stolen Nike sneakers.

"Yeah, that guy took out Creek! You're nothing, but a wanna-be!" Jay added, carefully removing shurikens from his bleeding leg with painful whimpers.

"Hun would never ever let a freak like you into his gang. Once Death finds out you're using his street creds, you'll be dead sh-t!" Profat said, stumbling to his feet and grinning like he knew it all.

Don started to snicker, his somewhat feminine laughter irked the thugs.

"You d-mn b-tch! What's so funny?!" Rally cursed, flinging a shuriken at the ninja, but it clattered uselessly past him due to Rally's poor aim.

"I'm sorry, but you guys are unbelievably asinine!" Don laughed and shook his head. "I know you're dumb, but I didn't know you were THAT dumb!"

"Oh, yeah?! We'll see who's dumb after Death has his way with you, b-tch!" Rally shouted, giving the finger. His trash-talk finally got to Don.

"STOP CALLING ME A B-TCH!" Don roared back, disgusted that anyone would dare call him a female dog or a female whore. He may have a sweet gentle laugh, but that didn't make him a girl.

"Make me, b-tch!" Rally scoffed, giving the finger again. Don threw his arm out and flickers of light shot through the air to Rally. The full sized shurikens penetrated the man's face and neck, cutting open his jugular.

Rally screamed and choked on his blood as he crumbled to the asphalt from his fatal wounds. Profat and Jay gawked in shock, but were even more shocked when they saw a cop nearby behind Don, pointing his pistol at them.

"_**FREEZE!**_ Show me yer hands, scum-buckets!" Casey shouted, keeping his gun trained on Profat and Jay as they stood in the light of the street lamp. He didn't see Don who was hidden in the dark.

Casey advanced on them and noticed Rally bleeding to death on the ground. "Who did this?! Talk, punk!" Casey shouted, cuffing Profat and then Jay as he read them their rights. He dragged them to his squad car.

Profat and Jay were a little more convinced that Don WAS Hun's Deliverer of Death now. Casey called for backup and an ambulance. Though it wouldn't be much use for Rally. He was already dead.

The rich man and his daughter were still alive, but both needed medical attention. Don kept to the shadows as he snuck close to the squad car and listened.

"Spill it, dip-stick! **_WHO_** killed that punk bleeding all over the parking lot?! I _ain't_ gonna ask **again**!" Casey shouted, shaking Jay like a rag doll.

"It-it was a t-turtle!" Jay quickly squealed, not caring how silly that may sound to the cop or anyone for that matter.

"A _**WHAT**_?!" Casey roared, feeling doom wash over him. Oh no... Not them!

"It was a guy who dresses up like a giant turtle!" Profat added, hoping the extra info would get him off easy at sentencing. "He works at-..."

Casey waited for the fat thug to continue, but suddenly Profat's eyes were glassed over as drool dripped from his open mouth. It was then that Casey saw the poison dart sticking out of Profat's neck.

Jay screamed like a little girl when Profat's huge corpse tilted to the side and fell on him. Casey hurried to help get the chunky body off the shrieking man, when suddenly Jay's cries were cut short.

Casey checked the guy and saw another poison dart, this time in between the man's eyes. Casey rushed out of his car and began to shout into the darkness.

"I **_KNOW_** IT WAS ONE OF YOUS! **_DON'T_** THINK YOU CAN GET _AWAY_ WITH KILLING PEOPLE! I DON'T CARE _HOW_ GREAT A NINJA YOU ARE, YOU _CAN'T_ BE DOING STUFF LIKE THIS NO MORES!!! **_YOU HEAR ME?!_** I HAVE A _JOB_ AND A _DUTY_ TO THE PEOPLE! **_DON'T_** MAKE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM AND YOU!!!"

Casey paused as he painfully squeezed his eyes shut as tears threatened him. "Please, don't make me choose..." he said softly, wiping his eyes. The Turtles were his friends; he didn't want to be against them.

Suddenly, Don landed on the hood of Casey's squad car and the loud bang scared the crud out of him. He cried out and backed away, shocked.

"Take me in... If you think that'll fix everything." Don said coolly.

"Oh man, Donnie! It was _**you**_?! _You_ darted those guys in there and- and _butchered_ that guy way over there? **YOU??!**" Casey was flabbergasted to no end. He thought Don was the meek Turtle...

"Casey, as much as you have to do your job, I have to do mine." Don said, as he looked at Casey seriously. "A ninja is the assassin of the night. I'm the executioner of evil."

"There's nothing you or your human laws can do to rehabilitate scum like the ones I killed. I did the world a favor by getting rid of them."

"Donnie, this ain't like you. I..I never seen you kill like this before." Casey said, feeling distant from him.

"I've been _forced_ to kill far _worse_ than this before! Do you think I _like_ it?! I have **_no_** choice! They _won't_ stop harming the innocent! The _only_ way to correct that is to get _rid_ of them! Permanently..."

"Jeez, Don... I-" Casey began to say, but then the sound of the approaching ambulance's sirens made him turn away to the left. When he looked to the hood of his car, Don was long gone. How a Turtle could move so fast was beyond Casey.

He had a really complicated report to write now...

* * *

"Where have you been all day?" Leo asked the second he saw Don coming into the Lair. The purple clad terrapin sighed in annoyance and gave his older brother an irritable glare.

"Well?" Leo didn't give up.

"Obviously, I was out. Now I'm home." Don replied, in a bad mood. Rose was trying to get back into his life and it really bothered him. He wasn't sure if she truly loved him and he feared if he took her back, she would only hurt him again.

And if he didn't take her back, he might be throwing true love out the window should Rose be telling the truth. Plus, he was still fond of Cleo, despite her possibly using him.

While it seemed that she may not love him, he was hooked on her kinky methods in bed. He could never dare ask Rose to do the things Cleo could do.

Rose was too proper and clean to get that eccentrically perverted in bed. She was perfect for Don's upstanding geeky side while Cleo was perfect for Don's naughty wild side.

But were either of them perfect for him as a whole? He wasn't sure. No matter which one he picked, he would have to give up a lot of things either way. It irked poor Don like crazy and he had no desire to take any nagging from big brother Leo.

"I told you I wanted us to talk this morning..." Leo said stiffly, hinting his annoyance. "You can't leave all day without telling anyone! You didn't even leave a note!"

"I forgot!" Don lied. "Just get off my shell!" he yelled as he headed for his room.

"We're talking definitely tomorrow, understand?! Don't go running off again!" Leo shouted and let his little brother go to bed. He confiscated all of Don's X-rated adult books, magazines, movies, and toys earlier.

He would burn them later. While Leo was watching the news, Don came stomping down the stairs in disgust. He stood in front of the TV and glared at his brother.

"Alright, I know someone went through my room and I think it was you, Leo." Don stated, gritting his teeth.

How dare he go through his stuff like that?! It was an invasion of his privacy! He didn't go through Leo's room and take things. Neither should Leo!

"Yes, it was me. All I did was remove the filth. You should thank me." Leo said snottily.

"Filth?" Don soon figured out what he meant. "Hey! That's MY stuff! You can't just go and throw them away like that! Those are my things!"

"They aren't healthy for you. So I put them some place else so I can burn them later." Leo said matter-of-factly.

"What?! Burn them?! Are you out of your mind?! Those magazines are anniversary issues! You have NO right going through my things! Give them back!" Don raved in a rage.

"Look, I know how addicting those things are, but you've got to let them go. I'm NOT going to let you revert back into that silly horny teenager again." Leo said as if he knew it all while Don fumed.

"What you need to do now is meditate and calm yourself. Forget about the filth. It is no good for you." Leo said, turning the TV off and picked up a newspaper to read.

"Easy for you to say when you got your d-mned hussy Karai ready to spread her legs whenever you want!" Don spat, really ticked off now.

"Alright, I've _**HAD IT!**_" Leo shouted, slamming the newspaper to the floor.

He got into Don's face and scolded him relentlessly which ended with a slap to the beak. Don held his sore cheek and narrowed his eyes angrily.

"Return my property..." Don hissed, hatred filling him. Leo sneered and sat back on the couch.

"I will not. I'm burning your filthy garbage and that's that."

Mikey had been watching all this from the top of the stairs and saw that Don was about to go ballistic, so he called for him to 'help' him with something.

"Donnie? Can you help me with my computer? It won't stop crashing and I don't wanna lose my fics."

Don glared at Leo hatefully before he went upstairs to help Mikey. The orange clad Turtle closed his bedroom door after he was sure Leo wasn't coming up too.

"Mikey, your computer is working fine. Why did you-?" Don tried to ask, but his little brother covered his mouth and 'shh'ed him. Then he whispered in his older brother's ear where he could find his X-rated goodies that Leo had hidden.

Mikey had seen where Leo had stashed the naughty adult products. Since he relied on Don for his supply of free porn, he didn't mind spilling the beans on where his geeky bro's stuff went.

It wasn't that Don couldn't live without his indecent filth, it was that he felt transgressed by Leo. He didn't care if Leo was the oldest, he couldn't play boss-of-the-world to him like that!

Don smiled at Mikey and they began to snicker together. The purple clad Turtle put his arm around Mikey's shell and hugged him sideways.

"Ohh, Mikey, you little sneak. I love you." Don told him, shaking him a little.

"SNIFF! I LOVE you too, Donnie! **_I love you, I love you, I love you!_**" Mikey happily threw his arms around Don, overdoing his embrace and got shoved off by his older brother.

"Alright, that's enough. You don't need to get creepy on me." Don teased, pushing Mikey. He fell into his computer chair and for no good reason, swiveled in circles.

"CreeEEEeeepy! CreeeeEEEEE-PEEE! HEHEHEEE!!!"

"Mikey, act normal. Please." Don grinned and looked to Mikey's computer. "Ahh, I see you're still writing that SuperQuest fic..." He read what was on the screen and was horrified.

"Shell! Jeez, Mikey! Look at all these grammatical errors! My word... Didn't you even use a spell-checker before you posted this?" Don asked, shocked by all the mistakes.

"Aw, who cares?! My fans love my fic." Mikey pointed out his large collection of glowing reviews. "Dude, don't be a grammar Nazi, ok? Just read and accept it for what it is, not what it isn't."

Mikey's words hit Don then. They had a powerful meaning; it was something like what he wanted Rose to do with him. So he relented, doing away with his scholarly urges to correct the written mass on the screen.

"Alright, Mikey. I will." Don replied, nodding. Mikey proudly showed off his romance story he wrote of the love he had for Kameko. Don was touched by the sincere passion and true love of it all.

"Even though I directly witnessed your devotion to her, I feel like I really understand more so of your love for her, Mikey." Don said, not hiding his tears of sentiment.

"Thanks, bro. I really appreciate that." Mikey replied seriously. Don looked at his little brother with strong emotion and the orange clad Turtle noticed. He relished in his older brother's hug, hiding his face into his chest.

Don rested his chin on Mikey's bald scalp, holding him tighter. He wasn't going to be an obnoxious MEAN older brother like Leo was now. He would be a fun, loving older brother, chock-full of harmony to 'sing' with his little bro always.

Remembering back to when Splinter was alive, Don recalled the lick-baths their adopted rat parent gave them as tots and even when they were teens sometimes. Mikey loved those types of baths as he easily understood the tender meaning behind them.

Rodents cleaned their young and loved ones with their tongues. It was like a loving touch and hug plus a bath all in one. While that wasn't the way of the reptile, Mikey really held that sort of thing dear.

Leo did as well, thinking it was the correct and right way of showing affection, simply because Splinter did it. Leo tried to tongue-bathe his little brothers, but gave up on Raph and Don due to their extreme hostility toward it.

Mikey accepted the baths still, but Leo was too stressed lately to give them anymore. Don knew this was so when he heard Mikey asking for them when he thought his other brothers were asleep. Leo would always say he was too tired.

As weird and childish as it might seem, Mikey missed those baths. They reminded him of Splinter and getting them from Leo soothed his still hurting soul. He couldn't truly move on from Splinter's death.

As much as Don despised babyish tongue-baths, he decided to make Mikey happy and give him a quick one on his head. The little brother questioned it at first, not used to having this older brother do it for him, but welcomed it regardless.

When Don left his room, Mikey went to bed to catch some Z's before he would check with Dr. Goodfellow on how Angel was doing in the hospital. Maybe she woke up by now. He wanted to be there when she did.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 35! (not much of a cliffhanger, but brotherly love is always sweet!)  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
What is in store for Rose and Don on Halloween night? Plus, Raph receives indisputable proof that Don is a Purple Dragon. How will he take this when he discusses the matter with Don?**

**When Angel comes out of her coma, she and Mikey go to an all night party later on and get extremely drunk. They wake up to a shocking surprise the next morning which will change their friendship forever.  
Who will Don ultimately choose, Rose or Cleo?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	35. A Dramatically Shocking Halloween Night

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.35

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.  
All Spiderman characters are Stan Lee & Marvel.  
(Not crossover, just kids in Marvel Halloween costumes - same for Disney costumes.)**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: I plan to continue censoring the swearing here to cater to those who dislike swearing in fics. The comic book version of this story will not be censored, so go to my DA site for updates on it if interested in seeing the uncensored version of this DoTT fic. Thank you for your understanding. :)  
NEW: Also, don't miss out on the 'Passion Series' add-on versions of DoTT! See my DA Gallery for details!  
Note:**See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Rose waited in the lobby of her workplace exactly at three thirty on the dot. She nervously held a brightly wrapped package in her lap as she waited. Inside the package was her special gift for her ex-lover.

She prayed he would accept it. After seventeen minutes passed, Rose worried that Don might not come afterall. But then after another minute, he appeared wearing a long white lab coat.

"I'm sorry I'm late." was the first thing Don said, adjusting his coat. It looked like he had thrown it on hastily before he came into the building.

Don wasn't in a particularly good mood all thanks to the 'talk' he was forced into having with Leo. When he tried to leave the Lair, Leo was there in his way.

He lectured on the importance of notifying whoever was home of his departure. Leaving a note was now mandatory. Don didn't agree to this new ridiculous rule when he could easily call them via phone.

Telling his brothers when he was going out wouldn't keep him safe or alert them if he ran into trouble. A heated argument swelled up between the terrapin siblings.

It ended with Leo knocking Don down onto his shell after the purple clad Turtle pointed out how Leo was NOT his father and never would be.

Leo left shortly after that, stiffly repeating how Don still had to tell him when and where he was going either verbally or by written note. Don struggled with his hurt rage and picked himself off the concrete floor.

Why was Leo..._BULLYING_ him like this? Did he respect him less for dancing in an erotic night club? Don figured that could be it. He didn't want to doubt Leo's love for him then, but it was hard not to...

Don sat next to Rose with an exasperated sigh. She continued to ogle him. Under that lab coat was a bomber jacket, unzipped down close to his belt. He was wearing extremely customized jeans, the waist enlarged to accommodate his shell.

They were topped off by a silver studded black leather belt and a heavy chain that was secured to his wallet in his pocket. A fairly rough and tough New York look, or whatever one may like to call it.

Rose was taken aback by his somewhat suggestive outfit under the neat and proper lab coat. A rush of sudden desire shamed her. Don looked...deliciously ravishing in that outfit, which she deemed only fit for unruly street people to wear.

Ruffians or miscreants as she called those people. She was brought up to believe she was high society and better than those low-class street people who lived on the wild side of life. She used to distance herself from such people, mostly in fear.

She didn't know anything about them and that's where her fear came from. It wasn't like she hated them, she was just frightful of those kinds of people and their tough lifestyle.

Somehow sweet and gentle Don pulled off that racy street look well. He actually brought much justice to it and a newfound respect for that style overtook Rose.

Normally, she wouldn't be attracted to anyone wearing such clothes, but when she saw Don in that open bomber jacket, a wave of hot desire hit her. He was just so SEXY in that outfit!

Rose hadn't made any love to anyone ever since she had dumped Don. Of course, having any intercourse before she fully healed from her surgery would have been foolish anyway.

Her brother's friend James Walker had tried to go on dates with her, but she refused his offers. She was too stressed out over learning what Don really was all that time, not to mention taking it easy after the operation.

She had practically forgotten about her carnal desires for months. When Don told her he had done a hysterectomy on her, she began to take supplements to the maximum.

She wanted to avoid any possible effects of an inevitable menopause, yet she didn't know exactly what Don removed other than the womb itself.

Did he do a complete or partial? She wished she knew, but she didn't know how she could go about asking him for the details. He was still too angry at her to discuss much as she could tell from the night before.

She could go to a doctor. But she didn't feel like going to one since she was a doctor herself and self-consciously believed that she would be ridiculed.

They would ask her why she didn't know what was or wasn't removed. She certainly couldn't tell them that a mutant Turtle gave her a hysterectomy while she was unconscious and that she never got to ask him what he did take out exactly.

That was simply too weird and complicated to explain, so she never went to see a physician. Instead, she took plenty of estrogen, androgens, and progesterone just in case.

She actually overdid it on her hormone replacement intake and now her libido was raging. She didn't realize how 'starved' she was until that very moment she saw Don in that arousing outfit.

It was strange, since usually arousal came from the removable of clothes, not adding them. Rose was so used to seeing Don without clothes that she didn't think much of his constant nudity.

She thought back to the time when they were on Kameko Saki's island. He invited her to swim in the pool Miss Saki had given him and she accepted, wanting to learn how to swim faster.

The bikini she had was a worn-out one that she cherished since it was a gift from her late mother, who died of liver cancer. She related well with Don when she found out his father died of cancer as well.

After Don taught her how to pick up considerable speed in the water, he came out of the pool first and she followed him. Her bikini strings were overly long for decoration so she would look fancy as a betta fish.

When she was climbing herself out of the pool, she nearly fell backwards and Don grabbed her, plus the strings. Her top came undone and Don got a sneak preview of her moderately large breasts.

Embarrassed, she attempted to cover herself and Don turned around so she could tied the strings back up. Ever since that mishap, Don had gotten increasingly amorous towards her.

He had been fairly flirty before that 'flashing', but he really began to pursue her more so afterwards. Don's seductive actions and suave tone of voice used to get to her to the point where she began to skinny-dip with him in the pool days later.

It was the very first time she had ever done something so flamboyant and what her upbringing deemed improper. In the water, she gave her body to Don and enjoyed every second of it, as did he. They became so close ever since until she messed everything up by scorning him.

She hoped she could patch things up with him a little at a time since it was obvious he wasn't going to forgive her anytime soon. She took the first step by letting him know she liked his outfit under the lab coat.

"It's alright, Don." she answered timidly. "I really like your jacket. It looks good on you."

Don was a bit surprised, thinking she would either say something negative about it or nothing at all. His testing continued whenever he was near her, so he purposely wore his bomber jacket and heavy chain to make himself look a little on the wild tough side.

"Thank you." Don sat beside her on the long padded bench in the lobby to wait for Rose's science camp students, who were coming by bus. Rose felt uneasy as they just continued to sit and not talk.

Don kept peering down the hallway to the front entrance for that bus to arrive and he was basically ignoring her. Rose cleared her voice and she was pleased when Don looked to her quickly.

"This is for you." Rose said softly and shyly.

"Thanks." Don took the small gift and was simply going to put it in his pocket without opening it first.

"Won't you open it? Please?" she asked, feeling bad. She knew she had been terrible to him, but was it alright for him to be this mean and despondent to her? She really was sorry here! Sheesh!

"Alright." Don said without any enthusiasm and ripped the silver wrapping paper off. He opened the box to find a 14 karat gold half heart pendant that said 'BE' on top and 'FRI' on the bottom.

Rose revealed that she was wearing the other half of the friendship necklace by pulling it out from under her sweater. Don looked at her and then the necklace before he closed the box shut, a grim frown on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, dread filling her once she saw his sour expression.

"I can't wear it." he replied, looking straight ahead.

"Why...why not?" Rose stammered unhappily.

"How can I wear something like this when I don't see you as my best friend?" Don asked, his tone low and sullen.

Rose swallowed hard and did her best to hold back her tears. She had to prove herself here, not wimp out. She touched his hands holding the box and took it from him. She unclasped the chain and held it before him.

"Maybe in time you will...again." she said so quietly that it was practically a whisper. She waited to see if he would refuse her putting it on him. He nearly did, but lowered his opposing hands and let her put the necklace on him.

"Give me another chance, Don. You won't be disappointed." she promised, taking a huge risk by gently kissing his muzzle. Surely that would prove something to him!

The purple clad Turtle felt a powerful flame of emotion shoot through him as her lips touched his beak. If she didn't love him, she wouldn't dare do a move like that while he was indifferent with her.

Maybe...maybe she really did change? Maybe she truly loved him?

Wait up here! One little kiss wasn't enough. Anyone could fake those. He had to keep on testing her still. He wasn't totally convinced just yet.

"...We'll see..." Don finally answered, rather coldly on purpose. He hadn't forgiven her so he was going to stay unfriendly for a while here. Rose deemed his reply as hopeful on her end.

Just then a bus pulled up out front and a bunch of nerdy-looking kids exited the vehicle. Rose went outside to greet them and Don slowly followed her.

"Hello, Miss Chaplin!" chorused the kids. There were ten of them, six boys and four girls. The boys were dressed up differently while the girls were in long lab coats, except for one.

She was in a blue sparkly fairy costume that had an emblem with a black haired fairy on the front with the name SilverMist. The girl had black hair as well with a pair of fairy wings clipped to her back.

Out of the boys there were two robots, an astronaut, and three Marvel characters. Don stood near Rose as she greeted the children.

"Salutations, my students." she said, then gestured to Don.

"This is my colleague, Dr. Donatello Hamato." she told them.

"Feel free to call me, Don." he replied, smiling. Aw, young intelligent minds! What a wonderful thing to see in children these days. The city needed more scientists.

"Hello, Don!" the kids said together, except for the boys in the robot suits who called Don Dr. Hamato instead. Rose began to tell Don the kids' names.

"Don, these children are my students from science camp. Those two are William and Clifford Trekk." Rose waved her hand over to the two boys in the robot suits.

"Please, Miss Chaplin. I prefer Billy." the kid said in a snobbish tone. "And _**I**_ prefer Cliff." said his twin brother.

"Yes, of course." Rose replied, overlooking their unsavory behavior. She was vaguely used to it since her brother often acted like how these twins did.

"Going on, this is Troy." The boy in the astronaut outfit pulled his helmet off and saluted.

"Peter, Eddie, and Harry." The boy in the Spiderman costume pushed his plastic mask up and beamed. "I'm Spiderman!" he announced, pretending to shoot a fake web.

"Yeah, well **_I'm_** Venom!" roared Eddie, whacking Peter. "Big deal! I'm the Green Goblin! So there!" Harry interjected. "Brains over brawn you know."

"Right, ladies?" Harry asked, giving the girls in the lab coats a suave look. They snickered at him. Billy and Cliff held their noses in the air.

"How droll. Comic book characters." Cliff scoffed. "Very unscientific." Billy agreed.

The twins preferred to steer clear of their comic book loving classmates and pretty much everyone else for that matter. Well, anyone who wasn't up to par with what they believed was real intelligence.

"Trisha, Penny, and Stacy are in the lab coats. And this pretty fairy is Elizabeth." Rose concluded just as Lizzy stared in awe at Don's 'costume'. She took his hand in amazement, blown away by how real his skin felt.

"How did you manage to find such a realistic-looking costume?" she breathed.

"I made it myself." Don replied, figuring that was the best truthful answer he could give.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Billy asked rather snottily. "Yes, are you trying to be a ridiculous frog or something?" Cliff added, annoying Don.

"I'm an aquatic terrapin. A red-earred slider, in fact." Don said pulling his lab coat and bomber jacket down over his shoulders just enough for them to see his shell. As he did so, his muscles bulged impressively.

"Wow! Look at those awesome muscles!" cried Harry, pointing.

"He's bigger than Spiderman! Man, I wish I had muscles like that!" Peter said in awe. Don smiled, proud to be something like a beefcake role model for these boys. And a smart one at that!

"Wicked cool! Though...he's not as big as _**VENOM!**_" shrieked Eddie, playing around and making monster alien noises. The three girls in the lab coats giggled in unison. They really liked Eddie, much to Harry's dismay.

Troy enjoyed being silent so he mimed his approval. Trisha, Penny, and Stacy expressed their female adoration by asking how long Don had worked out and if they could touch him.

They kinda reminded Don of Irma, April's scary friend she used to have work at the antique store. He hoped they wouldn't turn out to be anything like Irma.

It was hard enough to get _that_ woman to understand Don wasn't interested in her. It was bad enough that there was one Irma in the world, let alone three more.

Where Irma was, he didn't know. He faintly remembered something April said many years ago, that Irma was in Europe hunting men. Don pitied those men...

"Who ever heard of a biped turtle before?" Cliff said, asking a rhetorical question. He would be jealous if he didn't think buff muscles were stupid and a waste of time to obtain. Brains were all that mattered anyway.

"Very silly, indeed." Billy added. The Trekk twins didn't care much for animals, especially not lowly insipid reptiles.

"I think a biped Turtle is a wonderful creature, Billy and Cliff." Rose spoke up then, not liking how the twins were behaving towards Don.

"**_YOU_** do, Miss Chaplin?" the twins asked, surprised and confused. Last they remembered, Rose didn't care much for animals. She practically hated them! Why would she suddenly say anything favorable about them?

They liked their teacher since she was so smart, thus her opinions and views mattered. They deemed her, and anyone else who proved highly intelligent, more evolved than people who were not.

Only those who were MENSA material would receive respect from them. Only the best could fit within their social circle of super snobsville. The rest who could not fit in were simply dumb apes. Whatever _they_ said was worthless nonsense.

"Yes, there's nothing more noble than a Turtle." Rose said, touching Don's right hand. Believing she was just saying all that, he hid it in his pocket and looked in the opposite direction.

"You sound like you actually _**LIKE**_ those disgusting dirty animals, Miss Chaplin." Cliff pointed out. "Such cold slimy things. Yuck!" Without thinking, Don voiced himself quickly on that insult.

"Turtles are _**NOT**_ disgusting or dirty!" Don said forcefully, getting even more annoyed. "Nor are they cold OR slimy!"

"Yes, Cliff, that was very uncalled for. Turtles are not filthy or slimy as Don said. They are quite warm and loving creatures."

"Bah, turtles are stupid slow animals. They are useless." Cliff replied, crossing his arms.

"Except in experiments." Billy added and the twins snickered.

"Cliff! Billy! I want you two to apologize right now! Donatello's favorite animals are turtles and you should not be so insulting! He is MUCH smarter than I!" Rose yelled at the twins, raising her soft voice to a loud angry tone. It was a rare thing to hear their teacher get loud. Ever.

"HE'S more intelligent than _**YOU**_, Miss Chaplin?" Billy gawked, unable to believe it. Now his attention was caught. How could a guy dressed up like a stupid turtle be smart?

"Yes, his IQ is well over six hundred." Rose boasted, pleased to impress the usually unimpressed Trekk twins.

"But that's humanly impossible!" Cliff cried, becoming instantly jealous. His brother was not jealous, but in complete awe. Finally a REAL mind worth speaking to! Even if he did have a weird like for dumb animals.

"Feel free to test me then if you don't believe it." Don challenged. Cliff did so and he was annoyed that Don got all his 'hard' questions right. Then Don asked him some scientific inquiries that stumped the young kid.

Rose noticed how viciously enraged Cliff was becoming. She suggested that they start trick-or-treating then, which prompted Eddie to scream like a monster towards the first victim, er, house.

Cliff grew increasingly spiteful of this 'man' who obviously was as smart as Rose said he was. Why, he was a freaking engineer! A rocket scientist! A god of intelligence!

"Dr. Hamato is so incredibly intelligent!" Billy gushed, a new fan of Don's vast knowledge. "I bet he has a Ph.D from Yale! I want to read ALL his books! I want his autograph too! My gosh, he's the only one I want to look up to now!"

Cliff glowered at Don as the group continued their trick-or-treating. Why did his twin brother have to look up to this 'man'? Why, he used to do that only to him! Cliff really hated Don with a passion.

Sunlight gleamed off Don and Rose's friendship necklaces as they walked and Lizzy had something to say about that.

"Miss Chaplin, is Don your boyfriend?" she asked point-blank, enthralled by romance.

She was fascinated by how cool and smart Don was. She hoped to have such a boyfriend someday. Just knowing her teacher did gave her much happiness.

"Well, I-..." Rose tried to say. Lizzy's question sent much miffed irritation through Don and he answered it himself.

"She broke up with me." Don said testily, much disgust and anger could be heard in his voice. Lizzy was confused.

"But then, why are you two wearing friendship necklaces?" she asked, baffled.

"We're...we're just friends now." Rose replied, doing her best to hide her hurt feelings. Lizzy could see it in her eyes and shied away, embarrassed to have stirred up trouble unwittingly.

"Oh." she murmured in fright and hurried off to join the others as they hit another house. Don sighed in disgust and shame. He didn't mean to sound THAT hostile, but he was still upset even after all this time.

Maybe he should start being a little nicer to Rose. He could tell she was trying to make things up to him, but he just wasn't able to forgive her. He simply didn't trust her anymore and that was what kept him from forgiving her ultimately.

Plus, he wasn't sure if she really loved him still. He feared if he forgave her without knowing that she truly loved him first, she could hurt him all over again like before. (And he was NOT going through THAT devastation a second time!)

It wasn't easy to forgive someone you didn't trust. Especially when that someone had stomped all over your heart after stabbing it to death...

The only thing stopping Don from telling Rose to take a hike permanently was his love for her. He had to be absolutely one hundred percent sure that she had no love to offer him before he really ended everything with her.

Her attempts to rekindle their strained relationship were admirable and Don was becoming even more torn since he'd like to forgive her, but he couldn't due to his distrust of her. He was straddling the fence so to speak.

After the kids collected their candy around town, they returned to the labs for the party. Dr. Weinter and his best assistants were there with plenty of candy corn and refreshments.

Dr. Weinter was dressed up like a wizard, but he acted like Santa Claus with his generous candy giving and hearty laughter. After he gave the kids difficult, yet fun formulas to complete, Weinter went to Don, who was off to the side by himself.

Rose was helping the children to finish the formulas on the blackboard. Weinter noticed how Don was looking at Rose oddly and asked if he wanted Rose to leave the party.

Karai emphasized how very important it was to please Don, one of her elite assassins. And Weinter wanted to do everything that he could to keep the very-capable-of-slaying genius happy.

"I will ask Chaplin to leave, Dr. Hamato." Weinter offered, ready to kick Rose out. He'd do anything to keep the assassin in a good mood. It was the smart thing to do afterall if you wanted to stay alive.

"That won't be necessary, Dr. Weinter." Don replied, fingering his necklace. "Dr. Chaplin is allowed to work on the project as well, effective immediately."

"Certainly, Dr. Hamato. I will notify her after the party." Dr. Weinter said. Don held a hand up and shook his head.

"No, I'll inform her myself." the mutant terrapin replied. Dr. Weinter nodded. Just then Penny asked for him to come over and inspect their work.

Don followed the jolly old overweight scientist and the terrapin inadvertently graded the formulas himself. When Don pointed out flaws in Weinter's formulas, the jolly old chubby scientist wasn't so jolly anymore.

Then Don had some real fun by educating the kids as a real professor would. They discussed how volcanoes erupted and how thunderstorms were created, along with electricity and fire.

Since Lizzy was interested to know, Don explained all about the Chelonia, much to Cliff's disgust. Rose sat very close to Don as he gave his educating speech about tortoises and turtles, though more about semi-aquatic turtles.

"They don't have thumbs, but five clawed digits instead. Plus, turtles are the only reptiles to have a shell." Don explained.

"If they have five claws, then why does your silly turtle costume have only two fingers, including a thumb?" Cliff asked disrespectfully, believing Don's 'costume' had a very stupid flaw. Ha! He wasn't THAT smart afterall!

"Clifford Trekk! Remember your manners!" Rose scolded, frowning. "There was an accident in the labs that disfigured Don's hands and he was forced to make his costume that way. There was no mistake made on his part. You should not be so quick to judge!"

Don was taken by surprise hearing Rose say such about judgement. It could be another hint that she may have truly changed, but he dismissed it. That just wasn't enough proof, as anyone could say that as well.

"Anyway..." Don continued, giving Cliff an annoyed look. "Who got the most Choco-Plenties?"

Stacy claimed to have the most of that candy, which prompted the others to check out their goodie bags to see who had more of a certain candy. Then they began to trade for ones they didn't have.

Suddenly, Karai appeared at the door, dressed as a witch. Don found that costume **_very_** befitting for her. She greeted her workers and showed her pleased wonder when she saw Don.

"Donatello! It is quite a surprise to see you here helping out with the party. I must compensate you for your kindness." she said sweetly, shaking his hand like a true business woman.

"You're welcome." Don said quietly, yanking his hand free shortly after she shook it for a second or two. Karai turned away from him and announced that they would be bobbing for apples in the next room.

The kids scrambled there in a hurry as did Rose, Weinter, and his assistants. Karai waited outside the door for Don to enter the hallway. When he finally did, she handed him two tickets.

"What are these for?" Don asked, his tone unfriendly and annoyed.

"Tickets for the nightly dinosaur display at the museum on 22nd Avenue. My company advertises their exhibits and I can get free tickets every so often. Please, take them." Karai said kindly.

She believed once she had Don converted to her side, Leo would be less wary of her. Don would be Karai's best referral to convince Leo that she was safe to trust again.

"I'm **NOT** going with _you_..." Don told her as he cautiously took the tickets. He would refuse them, but he wanted to get into that expensive museum for some time now.

"Of course not. I could not go even if you wanted me to. I'm much too busy." she paused as she noticed the bomber jacket under his partially buttoned up lab coat.

"You must let Leonardo borrow that jacket. I would like to see how he looks in it." Karai said, hinting that Don looked good, but Leo would look even better.

The terrapin frowned a bit as Karai went to the next room. Don sighed in annoyance and tucked the tickets into his pocket. Some of the kids were bobbing for those apples while Weinter and Rose handed out candied ones.

Don hung back, took a chair to a secluded corner and sat quietly with the back of the chair facing forward. He placed his folded arms on top of the chair and rested his chin upon his arms.

He wanted to forgive Rose, but he may be setting himself to get hurt again so he decided against it. He wished he knew how to invite Rose to go with him to that museum without letting her think things were ok again and she wouldn't care to prove herself anymore.

Then Don would never get to find out if she truly loved him should she be at ease again, free to harm him once more. He wondered if he was being too hard on her as well in case she did love him for real and he might be driving her away, causing her to give up in defeat.

He was not a happy Turtle and he closed his eyes, heaving a gusty gloomy sigh.

Rose noticed Don by himself, looking very troubled and downhearted. She worried if he was feeling sick from his hyper mutation disorder and made her way over to him, candy apple in hand. She held it before his face like a 'peace offering'.

"Are you alright?" she asked, pulling a chair up beside him and sat.

Don looked at her for a second, then closed his eyes and sighed again. He had two tickets for that museum and he wanted to take Rose along, but then again he didn't. He wished he could make up his mind!

"No..." he finally replied, looking more depressed. Instantly Rose was alarmed for his well-being and touched his forehead. She wasn't sure if a fever meant anything for that disorder, but Don's forehead was cold, like the rest of him.

"Are you feeling sick? Do you need me to get you some more serum?" she asked in a hushed tone, grabbing his arm and shaking it gently. He peered at her hand on his right arm, then looked up at her.

The look of concern in her eyes did seem genuine, which chipped a few small pieces off Don's wall of icy distrust. Dazed by that sign of true love, he looked away. He allowed her hand to stay upon his arm though instead of yanking it away as usual.

"No, it's not that."

"Then...what?" Rose asked, getting confused.

"I have tickets for that nightly dinosaur display at the Bonez museum..."

"The one on 22nd Avenue?"

"Yes. I wanted to go there, but... Not alone..." Don forced out the words the best he could smoothly, but his voice cracked at the end. _**UGH!**_

"Do you...want me to go with you?" Rose asked, feeling that there was light at the end of her tunnel with him.

"I dunno..." Don mumbled, sitting up straight and covering his face with his hands, abashed. He worried if he was even a little bit nicer to her, she would step all over him and break his heart again.

"We're friends now, Don. It's ok..." Rose said softly, pulling his right arm down and gingerly touching his face. "You can trust me. It's alright."

She could tell he didn't trust her by the look in his sad worried eyes, so she did her best to reassure him with tender patting and kind gazing. At least he wasn't angry anymore. Whew!

"Ohhhh, _PLEEEASE_ **_kiss_** him! **_PLEASE!_**" Lizzy cried only a few feet away, mesmerized by the romantic drama. She was admiring these two and making up a plot for a love story she wanted to write based off them.

"I would Elizabeth, but I don't think Don will let me." Rose replied with mixed feelings. She didn't want to embarrass him or make him angry by forcing a kiss on him, as weird as that sounded.

Usually, Don loved kisses. But she wasn't sure if he'd accept any from her now, especially with an audience.

"Why not?" Lizzy asked, pushing her luck. "I'm sure you two kissed many times before, right?"

"Well, yes. So many times I've lost count." Rose admitted, blushing. Don sat, stonefaced, yet he wasn't frowning.

"Ohh...!" Lizzy breathed in bliss. Then she looked mad and put her hands on her hips as she glared at Rose. "Why'd you break up with him?! How could you do something like that?!"

"I was an inane fool before, Elizabeth. And I made some big mistakes. If I could do it over again, I would have never broken up with him... Never." Rose said more to Don directly, than to Lizzy. The purple clad Turtle was struck by the sincerity of her demeanor.

"Well, good! Miss Chaplin, you should apologize to Don and make him happy." Lizzy told her, expression softening.

"I did apologize to him, Elizabeth. But I don't think he'll forgive me..." Rose said, again more towards Don than Lizzy.

"How come?" Lizzy asked, looking at Don now. The Turtle widened his eyes and leaned back from the kid's sudden expectant staring. She wanted them to kiss and make up...NOW!

"Well, I just don't trust her anymore." Don admitted, saying things he wouldn't ever say this easily to Rose.

"Ohh... She must have really hurt you..." Lizzy said, understanding. She pondered for a while then came to a conclusion.

"Well, she's really REALLY sorry now and she won't hurt you again. I know Miss Chaplin and she's really a good person. I think she really loves you, otherwise she wouldn't have apologized at all. And-" Lizzy was about to go on when she heard Harry making a joke about her and she went to retaliate.

Don left as well, going out to the hallways. Rose tried to go after him when Karai stopped her. She pulled her aside and into an overly spacious equipment and supply room.

"Why are you upsetting my elite assassin?" Karai asked her, ready to punish her. She wasn't very fond of Rose since her brother Chaplin was always hitting on her. That fool came out of his coma the day before. Karai wasn't pleased.

Now that Chaplin was well, he would chase after her again. This was something she was not looking forward to since she was trying to get pregnant by Leonardo. Rose was not one of her favorite workers due to her relation to Leo's rival.

"I am sorry, Mistress Karai. But I was not trying to upset Donatello. I-" Rose tried to say, but Karai interrupted, snapping at her.

"Silence! You were annoying him! I witnessed it!" She frowned. "_**Why**_ do you continue to pursue him?"

Karai thought Rose was playing games here to bother Don maliciously, possibly because her brother Chaplin, the ultimate Turtle-hater, told her to.

"Because I **_love_** him!" Rose cried fiercely. Karai widened her eyes, looking astonished. She was fairly convinced that this was so by how ardently the scientist stated her feelings. But she had to point out something.

"Last I remember, you had broken all ties with Donatello. Why do such and then desire him back? I do not understand." Karai said, waiting to hear a good explanation for all this.

Rose did her best to illustrate what had happened and tried to get on her top boss' good side in order to ask a question she wanted to ask for a long time.

"I-I've been m-meaning to ask you for a r-raise, so I can make things up to Donatello. He doesn't trust me anymore and I need to earn his trust back. I was hoping gifts might help..." Rose paused and looked at Karai meekly.

Hearing that Don didn't trust Rose made Karai more open-minded suddenly. She was having a similar issue with Leonardo. Maybe she could strike a deal with Rose...

"You will have all the money you need to mend your relationship with Donatello..." Karai began. Rose gawked in surprise. She didn't expect to get an endless cash supply. Wow!

"..._**IF**_ you are willing to convince your Turtle that I am trustworthy as well. You will get a secret account by tomorrow to use as you please. All you need to do is win Donatello's trust over to me within a year's time and you shall never grieve about finances ever again. You will be elevated to a higher position as a bonus too." Karai finished her offer.

"What if I can't convince him?" she asked, worried. Karai instantly had a sneer on her face and glowered at her.

"You **MUST** convince him, by _any_ means if necessary! Should you truly prove yourself to him, he'll gladly consider _**ALL**_ you have to say! If you win his heart and trust, he will jubilantly walk into Hell for you!" Karai said harshly, not willing to accept any failure on this.

She NEEDED Donatello to trust her so he would get Leonardo to trust her again. She was creating a chain of trust here and she didn't want Rose to be the weak beginning link. She had to be a strong start to this 'chain' if she ever wanted to successfully win Leo's trust back.

"I warn you, do **NOT** play the Turtles for fools. They are quite...deadly when scorned." Karai added, not completely trusting Rose, but she had no choice if she wanted this 'trust chain' made.

"Yes, I've noticed." Rose replied, nodding. She was curious to why her boss wanted Don to trust her though and asked.

"It is **_none_** of your concern. Just do as I have instructed." Karai said quickly and opened the room's door to leave. Rose sighed and left the equipment supply room too, closing the door behind her.

The kids were ready to go home and Dr. Weinter was ushering them out the door. Karai had left and was nowhere to be seen. Rose went with Weinter to wave goodbye to the kids as the climbed onto the bus that was waiting for them outside.

Rose was about to help Weinter clean up after the party, but he told her not to worry about it and shoo'ed her away. She got her things to leave, wondering where Don went.

'Maybe he went to the museum already?' she thought and figured she would look for him there. As she walked down the sidewalk alone, a strong chilly breeze made her shiver. It also blew off the knitted cap she was trying to tie on.

She chased it to a series of abandoned houses covered in graffiti. Then she heard some gangsters talking in an alley nearby. She was about to bolt for it when she recognized Don's voice amongst the voices.

Rose got as close as she could without being seen and listened in. What she heard made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Don was a member of the Purple Dragons?!

"Can you do the job or not?" DragonFace asked spitefully, still not a fan of Don. "I mean, lately, you've been REALLY slacking off with testing new recruits. You can at least knock off Slick Jimmy, can't you?"

"You know I don't work for free. When I get paid, you'll see blood. It's as simple as that." Don shot back, annoyed to be pulled aside by DF to discuss duties. He had taken his lab coat off back at the labs and was only in his bomber jacket and jeans.

"You can loot Slick Jimmy's pad, freak! He's loaded!" DF didn't want Don to find out that he had been snagging his pay for the last few weeks. Unfortunately for him, Don already knew, but didn't get a chance to punish him for it.

Rose peeked around the corner to see her beloved sweet Don roughly grab a green haired man with a purple dragon tattoo on his face and viciously slam him upwards on the brick wall with one arm. DF's feet dangled helplessly as he realized he had been found out.

"So are you...with MY pay!" Don growled, reaching into his back jean pocket for his backup dagger. "You hated me ever since I've joined the gang, DragonFace! But guess what! I'm going to end your hatred once and for all..."

Don pressed the dagger's point under the man's chin and waited for him to start promising to return his money and show some respect. DF sputtered out all kinds of apologies and did promise to give the money back.

DF fell to the trash littered ground and irritably stood up as Don put his dagger away. DF muttered, "D-mn freak..." under his breath. Instantly, Don kneed the thug in the gut, sending him back to the dirty ground.

"Let's try and be friends now, DragonFace. You respect me, I respect you. We're all happy." Don said sarcastically and reminded him where to return his money. Or else.

Rose scurried away when she heard Don leaving the alley and ran as quietly as she could. She kept running, blinded by her swirling frantic thoughts.

Don was one of _**THOSE**_ people! Those extremely scary gangster street people! She never knew! Rose was so frightened that she kept running blindly until she was snagged by some unlawful teens wanting to do great harm to her.

The six boys snickered as they yanked her purse away and dragged her into a secluded area with high bushes so they could rape her. She screamed and fought with all her might, but they had gagged and restrained her.

With tears streaming down her face, Rose felt like her world was ending and she closed her eyes in defeat. The teen hovering over Rose suddenly fell backwards after a loud cracking sound was heard.

Rose opened her eyes wide and looked. Don was there beating the crud out of the teens with his bo staff, making them beg for mercy. They begged for their lives as soon as they realized it was him.

"We're sorry, man! We're _**sorry**_! We had _**no**_ idea she was yours!" a teen cried, flailing his arms in defense.

"Please, man! Let us live! _**PLEASE!**_" cried another teen, holding his broken arm.

"This is the first strike. Second strike and you're _**done**_." Don growled and the teens hurried away the best they could with their broken bones.

Don twirled his bo expertly in a fancy motion before putting it back into its holder behind his shell. He tore the restraints off Rose and with a choking sob, she embraced him gratefully.

"Ohh, Donatello! I-I was so s-scared!" she hiccuped, hugging him harder. "Thank you for saving me...!"

"So, it's true... You ARE a Purple Dragon..." said a familiar voice. Don looked up to see Raph a few feet away, perched on the metal fence. He had eavesdropped on Don when he was in the alley with DragonFace.

'_**Oh, shell!**_' Don thought, furrowing his brow as he looked away with intense shame.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 36! (How's THAT for a cliffhanger, huh? :3)  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
How will things be between Raph and Don when they discuss Don's Purple Dragon membership? How will Rose take it now that she knows Don's a Purple Dragon too? Will Karai's plans to create a 'trust chain' be successful in gaining Leo's trust?**

**Angel comes out of her coma and Mikey realizes how deeply he feels for her now. When they go to an all night party and get extremely drunk, they wake up to a shocking surprise the next morning. Will this ruin their relationship?  
Who will Don ultimately choose, Rose or Cleo?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	36. Rose is Forgiven & Leo's New Hunt

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.36

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.**

Reviewers-MyReplies: To 1woof1: You may be very pleased with how Don is in this chapter. Be sure to visit my DA site and to the DoTT forum to speak your mind there too. :)  
To TurtleLove: I left a reply in my reviews to your comment, but I'll say again to take a look at my new 'Passion Series' for the content you are looking for. That series is uncut and unedited with in-depth descriptions of adult content. I keep detailed erotic scenes in the Passion Series (PS) only to keep the rating low for DoTT. So for the naughty stuff, read PS and see my DA site for ad art of PS too. Feel free to go to my DoTT forum at my DA site to voice your views there. Enjoy ^.^

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

"Well... Aren't you going to say sumthin'?!" Raph cried, jumping down from the metal fence. He approached his little brother. Don avoided his eyes and heaved a gusty sigh.

This was absolutely horrible! Not only did Raph know that he was a Purple Dragon, so did Rose. This was too overwhelming for Don, so he was unable to say anything for the moment.

"Donnie, **_please!_**" Raph grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Tell me you _ain't_ one of those d-mned Purple Dragons! **TELL ME!**"

Rose watched in horror, squeaking in fright. Don knew Hun's spies were in this area daily, so he couldn't tell Raph the truth. He probably could safely tell him the truth in the Lair, but then Don's cover still could be blown.

Why? If Raph knew that Don wasn't really a PD afterall and just a spy, then he would have to act hateful towards him topside. If Raph forgot to do so or was even the slightest bit nonchalant about it, Hun's spies would immediately know something is up.

If his brothers were indifferent to him at all times for real, then Hun's spies would report to that huge goon that Don was indeed on their side. He couldn't let anything mess this up, even if it meant that his family would have to be against him for the time being.

"It's true. I am one of them..." Don finally answered, hating to say such, but he had no choice in order to keep his cover. Raph sucked in air sharply before his entire body trembled with raw emotion.

"Donnie, how? When? **_WHY?_**" Raph cried, shaking with hurt rage. Don gently pushed his hands off him and turned away. Raph felt his eyes burn with tears.

_NO...!_ No, this couldn't be! There had to be a logical explanation for this! There _**HAD**_ to be!

"**D-mn it**, Donnie! **_Answer_** me!" Raph cried hoarsely. Although beforehand he had decided to keep the faith in Don, he still felt betrayed. He vaguely understood how Leo felt then.

But he didn't dwell on it since he was desperate for his little bro to give him some sort of explanation for all this. But he wasn't saying anything and it disturbed Raph. Donnie wasn't **_really_** a traitor! Right?!

He couldn't actually LIKE working for the Purple Dragons, similar to how he liked pole-dancing... Could he?!

"Donatello..." Rose spoke up.

Don and Raph looked to her simultaneously. She was standing off to the side and suddenly appeared less frightened, even calm. She had her head bowed, but then she brought her head up and gave Don a devoted gaze.

"I don't understand why you are working for that awful gang, but I believe you must have a good reason for it. I will not judge you since the last time I did, I was wrong. I...I just wanted to say that...that I have faith in you. I trust you, even though you don't trust me..." Rose said, her tone soft and compassionate.

Raph stared at her dumbfounded, his amber eyes widened. Raph thought Rose hated Don! What in the world was going on here? Don was a Purple Dragon and Rose suddenly likes him again? **_HUH?!_**

Besides those crazy shockers, Rose's words reminded Raph to keep _HIS_ faith in Don as well. Surely, Don DID have a good reason to be a Purple Dragon.

Maybe...maybe he couldn't say what that reason was yet. Maybe he was spying on the Purple Dragons within their ranks? Raph could accept that. He rather believe in that instead of Donnie being a real traitor.

He looked at his younger brother, who was staring at Rose with much astonishment. Then he turned to the red clad Turtle. Raph tried to read what Don's eyes were telling him.

"Raphael... Please, whatever you do... Don't tell Leo. Or Mikey..." Don pleaded, his brown eyes imploring him. A wide range of emotions swam through Raph before he squeezed his eyes shut and sighed.

He wasn't sure if he should be helping Don by keeping such a secret, since it could get him into big trouble with Leo, but he didn't want Don kicked out of the family either. Especially if he wasn't a traitor afterall.

"_Erugh!_ All-...alright. But you've gotta explain all this to me sometime. That's all I ask." Raph murmured, giving him a serious deep stare. Don nodded and went closer to Rose, putting an arm behind her back.

"I'll take you home." Don told her, almost tenderly. She peered up at him and saw a different new look in his eyes then. It was a warm grateful gaze, a look Rose hadn't seen from him ever since she returned. Then he looked at his older brother shortly after.

The brothers exchanged stares. Raph gave him hurt confused ones while Don gave him desperate pleading ones. He wasn't a hundred percent sure if Don was playing secret agent here or not.

He wished he knew! But he could tell now wasn't the time. Something was holding Don back and he figured he should show his faith by letting Don tell him when he was ready to. Or could.

Raph didn't know it, but Don was inadvertently testing him as well. Did his other older brother have faith in him or was he as blind as Leo?

So far, it appeared that Raph wasn't as ridiculously judgmental as Leo, thankfully. Don was fairly sure that Raph wouldn't tell on him.

"Donnie..." Raph was about to leave, when he nearly forgot something. Something very important.

"Yeah?"

"Where the shell is my chopper?"

"Huh?"

"My d-mned hog!" Raph snapped, getting disgusted. He'd better know where that bike was at or else!

"Your hog? Oh! You mean the motorcycle. Well, uh, it's...kinda...gone." Don admitted sheepishly. Raph gawked at him for a second before he exploded.

"**GONE?!** Whattaya MEAN it's **_GONE?!_**" Raph shrieked. That bike was his new love after his first one, which had been totaled. He had this second one perfectly detailed not long ago with his own money. Money he worked hard for busting heads for Karai.

Now it was just GONE?!

"I had to use it for parts on the Battle Shell. That motorcycle wasn't that great anyway. I can build a much better one in time. Don't worry." Don explained, then Raph tackled him to the grass, causing Rose to cry out in shock.

"YOU D-MNED _**BASTARD**_!!! I SPENT **MY** _OWN_ F-CKING CASH TO DETAIL _THAT_ BIKE! AND _YOU_ TOOK IT _APART_ JUST 'CUZ YOU THOUGHT IT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH?! **YOU AS-HOLE!!!**" Raph shrieked, beating his fists into his little brother.

"IT **_WAS_** GOOD ENOUGH! IT WAS **_PERFECT_** TO ME!!!" Raph couldn't help, but lose his temper badly. First, Don squeals to April about his private crush on her and now this?!

He couldn't believe that his precious motorcycle was now gone and he wouldn't be able to ride around with Mona Lisa whatsoever. He was counting on using the bike to take Mona over to Jersey for a fun romantic trip. Now he couldn't...

Don defended himself the best he could, holding his forearms up as shields while Raph tried to make his face black and blue. He didn't dare to put his defenses down just to hit him back. Raph was much too strong for him.

He couldn't even attempt to fight back. Especially not now when Raph was like a raging thunderstorm, raining his fists upon poor Donnie and thundering his angry voice at him.

"Raph! I _said_ I _**can**_ make you a **new** one! A **_better_** one!" Don cried, covering his head as his older brother pummeled his skull and the back of his shoulders. Retreating into his shell wouldn't help much in this case.

"H-LL YEAH, LIKE IN _**TWO TO THREE F-CKING MONTHS?!**_ D-MMIT, I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT _AT ALL_ IF YOU JUST DIDN'T F-CKING _TEAR_ MY RIDE APART FOR SUCH A D-MNED STUPID F-CKING REASON! I HAD PLANS ON GOING PLACES WITH LISA!! D-MN YOU!!!" Raph roared, beating him some more.

How could he take that beautiful machine apart like that?! Just because he thought it wasn't good enough? It was more than good enough to Raph. He loved that bike! It was the only thing that calmed him down after the first one got wrecked.

"**STOP IT!** _PLEASE!_ Just **_stop_** it! If you need a new motorcycle right away, **_I'll_** buy it for you! Anything you want! Just **stop** hitting him!" Rose cried, grabbing onto Raph's arm and tugged.

"**Bullsh-t! F-ck off!**" Raph shouted, pushing her away and causing her to fall. She let out a yelp and instant rage went through Don once he heard Rose cry out as she tumbled to the grass.

Since he was preoccupied with shoving Rose away, Raph was distracted for a moment. Don used that two second moment to slam his knuckles into the left side of Raph's face hard immediately.

The red clad Turtle backed away, holding his beak in pain as blood leaked through his fingers. He was unsure how to react since it wasn't too often when Raph received viciously hard hits from Donnie. His shock stifled his rage for the time being.

"My goodness, what _is_ **wrong** with you?!" Rose shouted, angry herself now. "How can you _attack_ your brother over something so _trivial_ as a motorcycle?! If you need one THAT badly, then I'll be more than happy to buy you one, Raphael!"

"Just pick the one you want and send me the bill. Detail it however you like, I don't care! Just _don't_ beat up Donatello over it! **Please!**" Rose blew her bangs out of her eyes and huffed. Raph spat rudely and wiped his bleeding beak, grumbling.

"What are you doing here anyway?" he asked, annoyed. "Last I saw you, you were giving Donnie here the cold shoulder. Now you're all f-cking sweet to him and trying to be Bank of America to me. What's your deal?"

"I realized how wrong I was and now I'm trying to fix my mistakes. I really mean it. If you need a motorcycle so badly, then _go_ buy a new one. **_I'll_** pay for it." Rose offered, softening her expression.

"Yeah, _if_ I do sumthin' for YOU _first_." Raph scowled, not trusting her. She was on his list of blacklisted humans.

"I want you to stop beating up on Donatello. That's it. No more fighting over silly things such as motorcycles. Please. He has been hurt enough by everyone. Especially me... He doesn't deserve any of it..." Rose said, softly.

Raph was a bit taken aback by Rose's sincerity and vaguely thought a little better of her. It was alright for him to beat up on his brothers in his mind, but if someone outside the family threatened his bros, he would be against them.

Rose was sticking up for Don, so that merited some respect from Raph. Anyone who was good to their family deserved Turtle approval and were on the up-and-up.

Even though Raph thought better of her, he still didn't trust her anyway. Rose took a pad and pen out of her purse to scribble her contact info on.

She gave him the note and he gave her a wary glare. Was she for real or just pulling his leg here? He sighed loudly and shook his head. He didn't know what to think of her. He suddenly felt tired and drained.

"Hmph." Raph grumbled, then back-flipped gracefully onto the metal fence near a cluster of trees. "When I find the bike I want, you'll know." Then he leapt into a tree and essentially was gone within moments.

Rose inspected Don for injuries, but he wasn't that badly hurt. Ever since the Turtles were tots, they learned how to defend themselves without sustaining much damage. Especially from each other.

The purple clad Turtle escorted her back to the apartment complex where she lived. Rose figured Don would disappear into the shadows, now that his good deed had been done. But he didn't.

He was waiting for her to open those glass doors on her balcony. She let him in and he surprised her with a strong tight embrace. She happily hugged him back, hopeful that he might have forgiven her.

"Thank you for having faith in me..." he whispered in her hair, meaning it. He pulled away to give her an appreciative gentle smile before he went to sit on her bed.

"Do..do you trust me again?" Rose asked gingerly, parking her rump next to him. Don closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know yet..." Don answered truthfully. "I suppose I'm not as angry as I was with you before."

"I'm glad." Rose felt a little sad that she didn't win his trust back yet, but at least he wasn't furious at her anymore. It was a good start, at least. She decided to ask him something else then. It was worth a try.

"After work tomorrow, would you like to go to Serendipity's with me?" Just in case, Rose steeled herself for a rejection to her offer. Don slowly turned to her.

"Even in a good enough disguise, I don't think I'd be welcomed in a restaurant like that." Don said sadly. Halloween was over and it would be an entire year before he could walk amongst the humans unhindered.

"It's alright, Don. I can get us an exclusive private booth. No one will bother us. Then we can go to the museum afterwards." Rose tried again, putting her hand over his. He looked down at their hands and sighed again.

He decided to be lenient since she did have faith in him, yet he feared if he did, she could walk all over his heart again. Still...she appeared to be safe to trust though...

She really won a lot of 'brownie points' with him when she expressed her confidence in him. The level of sincerity in her voice really caught his attention. Maybe...maybe she had really changed?

"I suppose..." Don replied, leaning back a bit. "Anyway, I didn't get to tell you this earlier. You're no longer forbidden to work on the project. Starting tomorrow, you can help Dr. Weinter and his team find a cure for my...problem..."

"R-really?" Rose stammered, surprised. Don faced her and nodded with a slight smile. He was starting to forgive her somewhat now. She hugged his arm, pressing her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you, Don. I really want to help cure you."

"I think that you do..." he said softly. His ill will was dissipating while his true feelings for her began to flow back into him. He didn't feel the same hurt as he did before when he acknowledged these feelings for her in his heart.

Instead Don felt content with these feelings of pure love. There was no fear stopping him from wanting to give these tender emotions to Rose once again. She was passing his test pretty good at this point.

Silence befell them, at last enjoying the other's presence in comfort. Rose ran her hand over the sheepskin on his bomber jacket as she cuddled his arm, pleased that he wasn't pushing her away anymore.

She didn't know that she was being tested at all nor that she was doing favorably well on his test. She continued to be careful, not wanting to upset him at all. Things seemed to be going very smoothly and she wanted to keep it that way.

She felt his firm muscles through his sleeve, her desires rushing back to her. That starved libido gave her the courage to try her luck further.

Slowly and cautiously, she slipped her hand to his upper scutes. She rubbed her fingers over the hard plastron, moving her slender digits up to his green flesh.

When he didn't refuse her touch, she caressed his smooth skin, tracing the wrinkled folds of his neck lovingly. Her fingers massaged him deliberately slow, creating a sweet romantic atmosphere.

Don closed his eyes, relishing that she was touching him like this. He missed her and her gentle touches that were arousing him greatly.

Rose smiled when she heard him murmur in pleasure softly. In time, he would trust her again. She felt as if she had a good chance in succeeding here. She hoped she would. She wanted to be with him again so much.

Suddenly, Don leaned back until he was on his shell, causing to Rose fall partly on top of him. A little flustered, she hurried to lift herself off of him, then stopped when she saw a playful sly grin on his face. She smiled back shyly.

With his eyes half-lidded, he gave her one of his guileful 'critical' stares as he slowly leaned up on his elbows to kiss her. She welcomed this rare display of affection without hesitation. As each second passed, the passion in their kiss intensified.

Rose began to slide her hands over his shoulders to push his bomber jacket off of him. He helped her remove it and guided her hands to unfasten his jeans for him.

Seductive foreplay followed, each exploring the other on journeys they took before, but now seemed new. Don started out slow and gentle, enjoying Rose's breathy vocalization of deep pleasure.

After a while, he couldn't stand it much longer. He wanted her and it was plain to see, she wanted him too. He put his arms around her as she did the same, ready for him.

Within moments, their bodies were one once more. The long gap since the last time they made love magnified their pleasure ten-fold. Both experienced incredible passion flowing into one another with every action and movement.

Their bodies hungered for each other, feeding off the other and satisfying the lust built up in them both. Don couldn't believe how wonderful this felt. It was like a dream come true.

He could see the love in her eyes as he infused her with his all. The way she held him, touched him, kissed him... **_This_** was the true love he had been searching for... She was the one...

Many jubilant releases later, Don's body and heart were content and in full ecstasy. The stress he had carried for so long had been alleviated finally. He was so happy and content, emotions he'd nearly forgotten about.

But Rose gave them back to him, adding joy back into his life. Joy he thought he'd never feel again since she had dumped him those months before. He could be himself again. His real self...

"Thank you..." he whispered in her left ear, nuzzling her as he pressed her beautiful naked frame to his plastron. Rose snuggled him back, clutching his shell.

Her hands came upon series of beveled grooves in his carapace, injuries he sustained from many battles. Directly below his right shoulder began a long gash that went to the left side of his shell.

She slid her nails along it, remarking how deep it was. What caused it? It didn't seem to be made from a blade.

Don hastily pushed her away to stop her from poking at that wound. He was really sensitive having anything poking about there. It didn't hurt him as long as nothing was directly rubbing into it.

"Please, don't set your nails in there." he said, recalling the agonizing moment when he received that injury.

Rose's brother had done it with a laser weapon. It wouldn't completely heal, even though he took Dr. Sarah Perry's healing wonder drug.

He hoped that long gash wouldn't begin to rot on him. That was the last thing he needed. Even the beginning of minor shell rot was alarming to Don. He didn't want any rotting, period!

Rose peeked behind him and noticed how bad it looked. She was disturbed and worried. During their moment of passion, she didn't really notice this damage at first. But it was clear to see that his shell needed some help.

"Don, it looks infectious. It may be trying to decay. I think you should increase your intake of milk and calcium supplements." Rose suggested. Don made a face. As much as he didn't like fish, he hated milk just as much.

This terrapin liked drinking sodas more than anything. He preferred the carbonated soft drink over water. Of course, ice cream was alright, but milk by itself. YUCK!

Leo usually forced them to drink only skim milk which added to Don's disgust of the white moo juice. Thankfully Leo was too busy to make them drink milk lately.

"I've been taking supplements..." Don said quietly. It was kinda true. He remembered taking some two weeks ago.

"Everyday?" she asked. Don avoided her eyes and didn't reply. She knew the answer from his silence. She rubbed his left shoulder reassuringly.

"It's alright. Just start taking them everyday from now on."

"I won't remember to do something like that. Not daily." Don admitted.

With all the things going on in his life with his dancing job, spying on the gangs, stopping petty crimes, and trying to create a permanent cure for his hyper mutation problem; he wouldn't remember to take little pills every day.

"I'll remind you. I'll bring you fresh milk too." Rose offered with a gentle smile. Don sighed, not wanting her to do this, but he had a feeling she wouldn't listen.

This was a matter of health here. He really had no choice, if he didn't want his shell to rot off. She came back with a tall glass of cold skim milk. Don eyed it warily.

"Here you go. Very healthy skim milk." she said cheerily.

"Do I _have_ to drink it?" he asked sadly.

"Yes, all of it. You don't want your shell to get worse, do you?" Rose watched him drink. He paused at least ten times, trying to convince her that he had enough. But she pressed him on, making him drink the entire glass dry.

"Oh, shell! That tasted horrible!" Don gagged, coughing. In some ways, it was even worse than the serum!

That's how much he didn't like milk, well skim milk that is. He'd have an easier time with whole milk, but a rich fatty milk would only mean more exercise in the end.

It was getting late and Don figured he should leave so Rose could go to bed. But she asked him to stay. He nearly refused, worrying that Leo would get more physically abusive if he didn't come home as scheduled.

But then he remembered the hassle of leaving the Lair that afternoon. Leo shoved him down for not immediately accepting his rule, not to mention his dislike of Don pointing out that he wasn't Splinter.

It was the truth! Why couldn't Leo see what an insane controlling psycho he was becoming? Don finally realized how raunchy he, himself, was being lately. It was Leo's turn to open his eyes to his own flaws for once.

Don decided to take his chances by staying at Rose's place and calling home. Why should he return to the Lair only to be harassed by Leo again? He called home and waited for one of his brothers to answer.

The answering machine did instead so Don left a message. Unbeknownst to him, the answering machine malfunctioned and didn't record his message...

Don was fairly surprised when Rose timidly dropped hints that she would like to make love again. Pleased, he was more than happy to fulfill her request. The renewed lovers gave themselves to each other again, longer this time.

Nearly two hours passed before they came to rest. Don held Rose close to his plastron as he sleepily peered out the partially covered balcony doors. Silver stars dotted the dark moonless sky.

Halloween was over, but Don didn't feel as sad as he usually was on this special holiday's last hours. His entire being was overcome by blissful contented joy. Rose was the right one afterall... His one and only true love.

* * *

Leo sulked about the rooftops as he patrolled the city. He halted plenty of petty crimes with extraordinary ease. The crooks and punks simply ran for it as soon as they saw him. How odd.

He traveled his rounds closer and closer to Karai's home. Although he didn't trust her anymore, that wasn't enough to stop his undying love for her. He was like a moth fluttering about a flame.

A beautiful flame that continued to mesmerize him in every way possible.

Perhaps he was a careless fool for returning to her. It wasn't like him to be so stupidly reckless, but he simply couldn't stay away from her. Not only did his heart yearn for her, so did his body...

Getting rid of Don's odious porn products stirred up Leo's own lust. As he gathered those things up, he tried his best not to look at them much. But he did spend a short amount of time flipping through the magazines regardless.

He wasn't perfectly squeaky clean with such things, no matter how much he denied it. As a wild teen, he secretly had a strong fetish for female breasts and collected his own stash of indecent filth himself.

After turning twenty-three, he vowed not to be tempted by such things any longer and buried his naughty things in the lower tunnels that were miles and miles below the Lair. Leo made himself forget about the filth. His filth...

Although it was incredibly difficult, he succeeded 'letting go of his filth' after half a year and he was extremely proud of himself for it. If he could do it, so could his 'other self' aka Donatello.

When Don refused to 'better himself' and 'walk the higher path', Leo viewed this as an indirect failure of his own. He had to triumph over everything and keep his family standing tall with great honor gleaming off them.

Instead, Don was ruining this for him. He wanted to be trashy by displaying his body to unsavory gay strangers in a cheap sleazy pub! Leo had a terrible fear that those homosexuals would try to rape his little brother at some point.

Yes, Don could defend himself, but what if those disturbing people ganged up on him? They could put drugs in his drink and then hold him down so they could violate his 'sacred temple' aka his physical body.

Leo was dead set on keeping his 'sacred temple' only accessible to Karai and no one else. To know that his little brother openly allowed anyone to peer inside his 'temple' drove Leo into great frustrations and hatred.

Alright, so it wasn't _exactly_ like that, but it just wasn't right for Don to flash off his shell like he did at the night club. It was like his perfect little family wasn't as perfect as Leo was trying to make it be.

Don's gluttonous carnal appetite was the cause of this imperfection. So, Leo couldn't help, but be overly cruel to Don at times. He hated what Don did at that night club and he hated his little brother's defiance even more.

Splinter had always left Leo in charge, so naturally Don should follow, NOT rebel. Leo couldn't handle Raph as it was; he didn't want Don to become like the red clad Turtle. Ever.

It was like he hated and loved him at the same time. He often felt this way with Raph, but never with Donnie. He looked to him for help when he was unsure about something or if he needed backup leadership.

Leo didn't let him know, but should anything happen to him, he wanted Don to lead Raph and Mikey in his absence. He couldn't let Raph lead due to his explosive unruly temper and Mikey, well he was too easily distracted and silly to ever be a leader.

So it fell to Don. He was the only one left capable of doing the job somewhat as good as Leo could. He trusted him. But now after finding out Don was a man whore who shook his shell seductively for cash, Leo's trust rusted away into nothing.

He wasn't the brother he knew all his life. He was someone else. Someone who thought it was alright to be perverted and indecent. Someone who LIKED...no, ENJOYED being wickedly lewd and dishonorable!

**_That_** wasn't the real Donatello. Until the real one returned, Leo wasn't going to be one bit nice to this new evil fake Donnie.

As Leo's thoughts raged into his mind, he knew there was only one thing that would give him temporary relief to these frustrations he had with his little brother. And extreme pleasure...

He quietly entered Karai's heavily guarded private quarters with ease while she was watching the late nightly news on television with the lights off.

She didn't say a word as he unceremoniously seated himself beside her on the couch as if he had every right to. Leo gave her a few expectant glances.

She kept her face emotionless even though she was delighted that he came out of the blue as he did. She wanted things to be like how they were before, when he used to trust her blindly.

She regretted losing his trust, but was confident enough that she would get it back through Rose's efforts to convert Don to her side. Even though he didn't see any obvious hints from her, he risked touching her just the same.

As the back of his hand brushed her cheek tenderly, she slapped it away and gave him a warning glare. How dare he overstep his boundaries like that?! Karai had zero tolerance for a male who didn't know his place at all times with her.

Only SHE was to give the green light for intimate relations, NEVER him. If she allowed him to have control over that in their relationship, he would think it would be just fine to come over whenever he pleased to breed.

Constant mating would be disastrous in her goal to get pregnant. This had to be done a certain way with enough time spaced between each session. She would not become this Turtle's sexual relief toy, no matter how fond she was of him.

Too beguiled by her to be embarrassed by that rejection, Leo recovered gracefully and stirred up some small talk. Karai kept his hands in her sights at all times.

"The gang activity's getting worse." Leo stated, unsheathing the katana on his left side. He turned the blade so he could see Karai in the reflection. He smiled, admiring her beauty.

"Yes, Hun has a new weapon. The Deliverer of Death. He has wiped out too many of my best men in silent side battles. I believe he is a highly skilled ninja like us. I will make him pay..." Karai hissed, clenching a raised fist.

"I'll find him for you." Leo offered, sheepishly hoping to win 'brownie points' with her. He was set on making love that night, there was no going back for him.

"Should you locate him, bring him here. I have much desire to extract information about Kano from him."

"I have as much desire as you do..." Leo said rather shamelessly, unable to hide his lust.

"Leonardo!" Karai curled her lip in disgust, but inside she was laughing. He was so...cute whenever he was like this, letting his lust make him appear the mindless fool.

"Show some dignity." A slight chuckle escaped along with her words.

Leo sheathed his sword and squirmed uncomfortably upon his enlarged tail. Karai hid her smiles as she turned her attention back to the news.

"What did the test say?" Leo asked a few minutes later. He almost hoped it was negative so he could have another go with her. Karai sighed tiredly.

"It appeared to be negative, but I plan to try and test again in a few more days just to be sure." Karai gave him an annoyed glare as he scooted closer to her to the point where his right thigh was pressing against her left leg.

"Why don't we just freshen things up a bit with a new batch, hmm?" Leo purred in a low seductively suave tone, putting his right arm over her shoulders. She elbowed him directly below the chest with extreme force and he began to cough.

"That's why." Karai said coolly, enjoying this little game she was playing. If Leo wanted sex, he would have to jump through at least one more hoop.

He had to earn it when she wasn't immediately in the mood. She wasn't trying to be malicious or anything; this was how she 'flirted' with Leo in her own special hard-to-get kind of way.

"_**Ugh!**_ Shell! cough! Why did you...wheeze! -have to hit so hard?" Leo struggled to recover from that painful rejection.

Karai ignored him. She nonchalantly took a hidden dagger that was strapped to her right thigh and flashed the blade dangerously close to his beak.

"Keep complaining and I'll use _this_ next time." she said harshly. To show she wasn't attempting to be truly hostile and at last, warming up to him, she ran three fingers over top of his right leg. It was the hint he had been waiting for.

He knocked the dagger out of her hand, sending it upwards. It spun with blurring speed before he snatched it by the handle in mid-air. In a split-second, he had her back to the armrest while holding the razor's edge close to her face, a little below her chin.

"Keep teasing me, and I'LL be using this next time..." he said sexily, his brown eyes sparkling at her. Karai felt a strong wave of hot desire kick in. That playful menacing from Leo simply thrilled her.

"Leon..." Karai's eyes twinkled back at him. She watched him close his eyes as he bent down to kiss her. She raised her arms up to the back of his head while he pulled his arm back to throw the dagger into the far wall.

It wasn't too long before Leo was 'replenishing' her with fresh batches of seed to hopefully create a new life with. The odd couple fervently made love into the night while the TV masked their sounds of pleasure.

Karai began to wonder if Leo was trusting her inadvertently due to his overpowering fondness for her. He appeared like he just couldn't keep away. This was very good fortune indeed.

If Rose failed her, it may not even matter. Karai allowed Leo to perform more kinky acts upon her when he assumed the positions. It gave her worthwhile enjoyment so she accepted his eccentric services.

Once he had his fill, he dozed behind her as she watched the television for a while. After midnight, she turned the TV off and settled in to sleep. She cuddled close to Leo and while he was half-awake, he began to lick her face lovingly.

"Are you sure you want to hunt for Death?" Karai asked, yawning. She dug her nails gently into the wrinkled folds of his neck, smoothing them out. Leo shifted his weight as he filled his lungs with air quickly.

"Of course, I want to. He's a danger to you. I have to stop him." Leo said softly, liking how Karai's fingers were working on his neck. It gave him such a pleasant sensation that it made him forget his troubles momentarily.

"Just be careful, my love. I've heard this Death is a ruthless beast who thirsts for blood and flesh. I have seen his handiwork personally. He possesses great strength." Karai said, kissing Leo's neck then.

"Don't worry. I'll handle him and put an end to his days of terror once and for all..."

**To Be Continued in Chapter 37!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Uh-oh! Leo wants to hunt for Hun's Deliverer of Death aka Donatello! What will Leo do once he discovers that his own little brother is a Purple Dragon and one of their best assassins? Will Leo be understanding or ban Don from their terrapin brotherhood forever?  
Angel comes out of her coma and Mikey realizes how deeply he feels for her now. When they go to an all night party and get extremely drunk, they wake up to a shocking surprise the next morning. Will this ruin their relationship?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	37. Jotaro the Brat & Mikey's Wild Night

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.37

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

When Rose woke up the next morning, Don wasn't there. She didn't know when he had left, but she knew she would see him that afternoon at Serendipity's.

She showered, drank a Special K protein drink, and headed off to work. During the entire morning, Rose's stiff underwire bra kept chafing her. Every time she moved, the material would rub and spark fresh desire into her.

When it was almost lunch time, she knew she couldn't stand this any longer. She had to have relief. She asked Dr. Weinter if she could leave early and have the rest of the day off.

Since Rose wasn't on the blacklist anymore, Weinter nodded his head and allowed her to go home. When she walked the busy crowded sidewalks, she ducked into a shop to avoid getting run over by some teenagers in a big hurry.

She turned to see where she was and couldn't believe it. She had stepped into an adult book store! Embarrassed, she tried to leave, but a long silver and blue toy caught her eye.

With her libido gnawing away at her, she went deeper into the shop to the stimulator. It said 'Happy Rabbit' on the side, had five vibration settings, and came with different head accessories from smooth to bubbles to soft spikes.

Rose knew she couldn't wait for Don until that evening. She had to have pleasure now! She hastily took the package and was about to just buy this one thing when another item caught her attention.

Flavored bottles of lubricant from strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry sparkled at her, almost begging her to buy them. She snatched the raspberry one and yet again, she noticed something else.

A book pile was nearby and the paperbacks were entitled, 'How to Enhance Your Pleasure in Bed'. Believing it could be a useful guide for the vibrator, she took a copy and finally headed to the register.

The cashier mindlessly checked her items out and she paid cash, not wanting a paper trail to follow her back to this shop. These adult items were going to be her little secret. She didn't want Don finding them.

She had judged him, so now he could judge her back if he wanted to. She believed that Don had every right to, especially after the way she had treated him before.

These adult items were not what a high standing woman, like her, would have in her possession. At least, that's how she felt. These items seemed kinky and not her style, yet her raging libido was making her do things she would have never considered doing previously.

Pleased that her naughty products were in a plain white plastic bag, she hurried back to her apartment. She undressed in a flash and climbed onto her bed with her adult toys quickly. She read the book and learned a lot of new kinky things while she played with herself.

Foreplay gave her grand delectation. Then out of the blue, her eyes fell on her video camera sitting on its tripod near the corner wall close to her.

No... She couldn't. She wouldn't dare...make an erotic movie of her playing with herself?

'Well...Donnie might like it...' she thought, her sexual desires controlling her mind and making her forget that she didn't want Don knowing about her new naughtiness. Eagerly, she got out of bed and set up the camera before her bed.

She turned the viewfinder around so she could see herself in action. Using a new disc to record on, she pressed the Record button and went in front of the camera to greet Don.

"Hello, Don! I _really_ enjoyed what we did last night and I just _couldn't_ wait for an encore. Here's a small rehearsal before you come here tonight..." she said in her feathery soft voice, turning up the lasciviousness in her tone on purpose.

Rose proceeded with her foreplay, creating quite a show for her terrapin lover. She had always been satisfied of her figure, but she was even more proud to have such a pretty one to show off to Donatello on camera. He would not be disappointed.

She continued on with her naughty movie with seductive zest. The camera caught every enticing moment as she made great use of the adult toys upon herself.

"I'm waiting for you, Donnie..." she purred lewdly. "Come over any time you want..I'll _always_ welcome you..."

After reaching several releases, her libido finally released the hold on her mind. She casually turned the video camera off and cleaned up. She hid her adult toys under a lot of research papers in the bottom drawer of her nightstand.

Rose suddenly felt extremely abashed. How could she make a video like **_that_**?! It was as if she was some dirty porn star or something! She took the newly recorded DVD disc out of her camera and decided to label it instead of leaving it blank.

Someone might think it was a new disc to use and then they would see her naughty display of kinky sexual acts should they play it. She used a felt-tipped marker to write, 'For Donatello Only'.

Not that she would openly give it to him. She wasn't sure what to do with it. She put it in with her other adult toys in the bottom drawer and hoped they would be forgotten there. Forever.

Feeling tired from her erotic movie 'debut', she took a nap until it was time to meet Don at the restaurant. She prayed that he would never learn of her naughty video. She didn't know how wrong she was.

* * *

When Leo returned to the Lair in the morning, no one was home. Mikey left a note on the fridge, but there was no note nor a message on the answering machine from Don.

He already knew where Raph was, so he didn't require a note or a call home every waking moment... As long as Raph contacted Leo in some way at least once a week.

The blue clad Turtle preferred a call everyday, but he knew he'd be lucky to get a call from his fiery little brother once weekly, so he left it at that. Thus, Raph was free from Leo's wrath. But Don wasn't.

Leo grit his teeth as he narrowed his eyes in extreme anger. How **_dare_** Don disobey his rules again?! How hard was it to call home anyway? He just couldn't wait to yell at him...

Just then, a blinding light caused the angry terrapin to shield his eyes. A swirling white and blue portal appeared in the middle of the living room.

Two white beings stepped out. Once the bright light was gone, the Turtle in blue could see who had arrived.

"Miyamoto Usagi!" Leo cried, going over to hug the rabbit-man.

"Leonardo-san! It has been many years, my old friend." Usagi greeted him with his own embrace with friendly pats to his back. Then he held a hand out to a young teenaged boy, who looked a lot like Usagi himself.

The bunny-boy had a backpack strapped to him, stuffed full of items. He did not look happy. Not one bit.

"This is my son, Jotaro." Usagi said with pride, yet it seemed dimmed. Jotaro's eyes were filled with disgust and he angrily looked away when his father introduced him.

"Konnichiwa, Jotaro-kun." Leo said politely, bowing. The bunny-boy 'hmph'ed at him and frowned. Leo could tell something was wrong here. Why was this young buck so annoyed?

"Jotaro, this is Leonardo-san. I expect you to remember the things I told you earlier." Usagi strongly advised his child not to forget his manners. Jotaro was in no mood to be respectful, especially not to stinking ninja-scum.

"Remain here and do nothing while I speak with him." Usagi warned his son once more before he took Leo aside to a subway car and closed the doors.

"What is this all about, Usagi? Why are you here with your son?" Leo asked kindly, although now he was feeling resentful and jealous. His good friend Usagi already had a teenaged son and what did Leo have? Nothing!

Usagi sighed heavily before he explained his problem to Leo. "Lord Hebi's been attacking the villages more than ever lately. I have no time to train Jotaro as I used to..."

"He's [SIGH] made friends with some unsavory characters." Usagi frowned as he thought to himself, 'Thanks a lot, Gen!'

Ever since Jotaro became fond of Gen's gambling pals, the young rabbit warrior adopted ill habits such as drinking excessively, sleeping with various women, and betting on everything that he could.

He was wasteful with his finances, disrespectful, and now very lazy with his exercises. He refused to do anything he needed to do in order to become an upstanding warrior. Usagi needed much help with his son's training.

"He's become very disobedient and unruly. He chases the town women shamelessly." Usagi explained, making Leo think of his little brother Don then.

"I'm unable to correct him at this point. I was hoping that you, Leonardo-san, could remind him the importance of honor and train him. I'll pay you well for your efforts." Usagi held up a bag of gold coins.

"No payment is required, friend." Leo said, holding his hand up to refuse the gold. "I'll be more than happy to teach Jotaro the ways of the ninja. I promise to do my best and aid Jotaro to live honorably once more."

"Thank you my friend. I did not know who to ask for assistance other than you, Leonardo-san. I will return every three months to see how things are progressing. When Jotaro has become a true warrior and buck, I will take him home."

The friends bowed at one another and Usagi left the subway car. He exchanged a few short words with his son before he left in the portal.

Jotaro viciously flung his backpack across the room with all his might as soon as his father left. The backpack hit a stack of DVDs, creating a mess. Leo immediately went to work reforming this ornery bunny.

"_**Hey!**_" Leo cried, frowning. "In the Lair, we do not throw things around! Do you understand, Jotaro?"

"I am Samurai! I don't care what a thieving treacherous ninja has to say!" Jotaro shouted with much hatred. "I'll _NEVER_ accept you as my sensei, ninja-scum!"

"Let's get one thing straight, right here and now, Jotaro." Leo said slowly and dangerously, not about to take any crap from a 'baby' rabbit.

"Your father left me in charge of you to teach you how to defend yourself and how to live honorably. So whether you like it or not, I AM your sensei until you prove yourself honorable. Understand?"

"Samurai never heed the deceit of a filthy REPTILIAN ninja!" Jotaro shouted back, then found himself tucked under Leo's muscular arm and being hauled away.

"You'll learn respect for your betters soon enough." Leo said, taking the squirming, biting rabbit to a subway car. He figured that would be a good place to keep Jotaro until he calmed down.

Leo struggled to calm himself after all that. Why, that little brat! No wonder Usagi dumped, er, left Jotaro with him. Sheesh, that kid made Don's 'disrespectfulness' seem like nothing!

No matter. Leo planned to shape and mold Jotaro into the perfect son, HIS 'son'. He would be a better 'son' than any of Leo's siblings too. He was just sure of it. He could do this. At last, he would have a 'son' he could be proud of!

* * *

Later that day, Don met Rose outside Serendipity wearing a beige trench coat and hat. She had the reservations all made out ahead of time and they were seated at a private booth near the back.

Rose couldn't wait for dessert. She had ordered a Golden Opulent Sundae. Sure it cost a thousand dollars, but she deemed it worthwhile to celebrate now that she was back together with Don again.

They exchanged idle small talk as they ate their steak entree with escargot, followed up by a refreshing salad. Don really enjoyed the snails. Too bad crickets weren't on the menu, he also liked those crunchy insects.

Although, Don wasn't enthusiastic about the prices, he bitterly accepted them since the food was good and prepared on time. Still, he wasn't too happy about the prices just the same.

When the waiter brought the overly priced sundae, Don immediately could tell it was extremely expensive. He inspected it harshly, furrowing his brow in distaste.

It had an orchid sculpted out of sugar on top of the ice cream, which was covered in gold leaf and caviar, candied fruits, cherries, chocolate truffles, and some kind of fudge-like chocolate.

All of this was in a crystal goblet with a mother-of-pearl spoon AND a gold spoon. Rose beamed with happiness. She was very pleased that she could give and share such a grand gift to her beloved.

But Don wasn't exactly jubilant from the famous Golden Opulent Sundae. He asked her how much it cost and as soon as she told him, he was instantly in a foul mood.

"How can anyone dare to price DESSERT for THAT much? It's ridiculous! Shell, it's criminal!" Don scowled, filled with intense disgust.

He knew why worldwide hunger existed more so now... Well, ok, so this sundae wasn't to blame for all of it. But, still it was part of the problem.

Nevertheless, people were wasting their money on overpriced nonsense. No one NEEDED to have such a majestic exalted dessert such as this.

It was completely unnecessary. It felt so wrong to him. That money could have gone to the poor instead! He saw this sundae as a colossal waste of money and he despised it.

"I'm sorry, Don. I didn't know it would upset you." Rose said softly, feeling foolish. She had him back, but maybe this would drive a new wedge between them? She just didn't know what to do then.

Don let out an exasperated sigh, squeezing his eyes shut as he fought to quell his angry disgust. He shook his head, turning away for a moment as he calmed himself.

"Don't worry, Rose. I'm not angry with you. I'm just appalled at this restaurant and any business who create such overpriced products that essentially steals food from those who are starving to death." Don finally said after a long moment of silence.

Rose nervously sat, not knowing what to say. He did say he wasn't mad at her, but now he was in a bad mood due to that sundae. She wanted it to be a happy thing for them, not a bad thing. She felt abashed as she fidgeted in her seat.

Don noticed her saddened demeanor and decided to explain to her why the expensive sundae quickly peaked his detestation for it.

"When I was a..." Don paused before saying 'hatchling' since he didn't want to make himself appear more like an animal by using a term only for young reptiles. He started again.

"When I was little, my brothers and I starved more often than not. My father tried his best to find us food, but things didn't always turn out favorably for us." he explained. Rose was struck by what he had just said and felt great pity.

"Oh, Don! I never knew that your family was so penniless before. My gosh..." she squeaked, having no idea. She had grown up in a fairly rich home.

She never knew what it was like to starve nor lack basic necessities. She always had what she needed and things she didn't need either. She couldn't imagine living like how Don had to when he was a tot. Poor Donatello!

"Yes, it's true. We didn't have much, but we had each other. Money was like a fantasy to us really. That's why whenever I see ridiculously priced items, I get very upset."

"The people who buy these overly priced things, in a way, are ensuring that starvation continues. They should be giving their money to people who desperately need it. People who are...less privileged, like I used to be..."

"Children shouldn't be starving... I certainly did. As did my brothers. We know that terrible empty pain all too well..." he said, head bowed and eyes closed.

"They have NO idea how much it hurts... How much it _kills_..."

Rose reached out and touched his trembling right fist resting on the table. Don looked up at her, seeing deep sincerity in her blue-green eyes.

"Don, I want to donate what I can to those who need help. Especially the children. We could sponsor a child together. Maybe we can even adopt him or her." she said, turning his bad mood around.

He slowly smiled at her, placing his left hand on top of hers. Although before he was pretty sure Rose had changed, he had no doubts about it now. She wanted to be part of the solution by helping. She understood.

"I would like that very much." he replied and decided to tell her about his anti-aging invention then. She was impressed and had only positive things to say about it.

"That sounds like a wonderful machine, Don. Perhaps once it's finished, we can build more of them to send overseas. That most certainly would help with the world hunger problem." Rose suggested.

Don nodded, unable to mention anything about his dancing job and how it aided in the funding of his invention. He would tell her some other time. He wasn't sure when, but he would. Some day.

"I suppose not eating this stupid sundae would be wasteful in itself." he said, picking up the gold spoon to scrape some of the melting ice cream going down the side of the crystal goblet.

After finishing the sundae, Don had to admit it was delicious. He was glad he got to share it with someone special. Something that sickeningly overpriced NEEDED to be shared with someone special. And there was no other more special to Don than Rose.

They went to visit the museum to see the dinosaur exhibit then. Don rambled on with excitement of his knowledge and love of the giant thunder lizards. He was even more joyful thanks to Rose understanding his intense geek talk flawlessly.

She was very fluent in geek since she was one herself. She too rambled with him about dinosaurs for hours as they marveled at the assembled bone structures.

When they reluctantly left the museum, Don took Rose home to her apartment. She promised to open her balcony doors for him and once he was inside, he wanted to wash his hands.

He had grabbed something sticky as he made his way up the complex and she pointed to the bathroom connected to her bedroom. He had to rewash his hands several times to get the goo off.

Rose went to get Don some milk while he waited on her bed. His dry hands got irritated from the overly soft texture of Rose's bed sheets and when she came back with the milk, he asked if she had any lotion.

After she witnessed him drink all the milk, she happily went to get him some lotion. But she took a while and he couldn't stand the dryness any longer.

So he looked in the nightstand next to the bed for some lotion. People usually kept stuff like that near beds. Well, April always did.

Rose probably did too since she was a wonderful beautiful proper lady like April. He rummaged through all the drawers, taking items out and putting them on the bed.

Then in the bottom drawer, he found a long blue and silver stimulator with the words 'Happy Rabbit' on the side of it. It had accessories to change the head of the toy from smooth or bumpy. Plus, there was a bottle of raspberry flavored lubricant. AND a book called 'How to Enhance Your Pleasure in Bed'.

Surprised to no end, Don stared at the adult items. He flipped through the book and grew quickly ardent by the detailed descriptions and pictures. _**WOW!**_

If he was a feline, he would be purring up a storm with much interest. Don never remembered Rose having such erotic products before when he was with her. Ok, she probably didn't even need such things when she had him, but still.

This was good news to Don's naughty fetishes that his body relished. Was it possible Rose could be sexually deviant? Just wondering if she could be made the terrapin tingle with powerful lust.

Then he noticed the DVD disc. It had his name on it, so it must be for him. _Okie dokie!_ He tucked it into one of the many pouches on his belt. It didn't fit entirely in that small pouch and stuck partway out.

Rose came back and was shocked to find that Don had gone through the nightstand. She blushed and hastily put her adult supplies away shamefully.

"Couldn't wait for me, could you?" Don asked slyly, giving one of his patented sexy 'critical' stares with a wide grin.

Rose's face grew even a darker shade of red. Shining flashes of light from his waistline caused her to see the DVD disc in a little pouch attached to his belt.

Horrified, she dove for it, but he gently pushed her away from his belt with an all-knowing smile. She couldn't help but plead then.

"Please, Donatello! I can't let you view that disc!" she cried, lunging for it. He turned sideways, covering the disc with his hands so she couldn't get at it.

"Why not? It's labeled just for me. Hmm, I wonder what's on it..." Don asked playfully, having a good idea what.

"Nothing! Give it back!" She tried reaching for it once more, but he grabbed her and literally flung her on the bed to his right side, close to the pillows. He pinned her down by the arms as he hovered over her.

"You're not going to get this disc back as easily as you did the vials." Don purred, grinning ear to ear. He gave her a strong loving kiss, then let her go. Rose let out a shaky defeated sigh as she sat back up.

"This is terrible." she said sadly.

"Terrible? What do you mean?" Don asked, confused.

"Once you see what's on that disc, you'll think so poorly of me. I'd be surprised if you didn't think poorly of me right now after seeing all those adult products I own..." Rose replied, red in the face with shame.

"Be surprised then..." Don gave her a devious wide smile. "I think it's rather...intriguing that you have an interest in...kinkier methods of intercourse." He brought his face close to nuzzle her.

"...Just like me..." he purred, dabbing kisses upon her lips and down her neck. He nearly had enough confidence to tell her about his pole-dancing job. But not quite.

"I already know how much you like such things. But for me to like them too, it just feels...awkward. At least to me it does..." she admitted as he gently pushed her onto the pillows.

"Well then, let me help you feel more comfortable about it." he said seductively, lowering his beak to her chest.

She allowed him to undress her in an animalistic fashion, using his teeth to tug and pull her garments off. This behavior wasn't a shock to her as she had known of Don's fetish for dirty sex the first time she had intimate relations with him.

While it was very odd for a gentle calm scientist to be so naughty like this, it was also an alluring attribute that set Don apart from the other scientists. He wasn't just highly intelligent, he was also a skilled athlete and a deadly ninja.

His ability to end life ranged from quick and painless to long and torturous. Yet he was kind-hearted and refined. His personality was so unique and special. There was no other like him in the universe.

How a terrapin could be so perfect being a beautiful man was beyond her, but she no longer viewed Don as an animal. He was a human being to her now and nothing less.

"With me, all you'll feel is sweet delectation..." he said softly with a sly grin as he assumed a comfortable position between her legs.

Giddily, she watched him lower his beak down upon her, closing her eyes in deep pleasure. Burning ardor flowed from Don into her soon after. The oral foreplay opened Rose up to a new world of sexual pleasure.

It was like they both couldn't get enough of each other, which was like a living dream to Don. This was one of his fantasies where a female would desire him endlessly just like how Rose was doing. He couldn't be more happier.

Don relished having sex while submerged in water so he filled the tub in the master bathroom. From eccentric positions to the traditional ways of love-making, the couple fulfilled one another flawlessly in passion.

Eventually, the kinky sex feast came to an end when Rose had enough of it all. She was getting tired and thankfully, so was Don. Both left the tub and Rose pulled out an oversized towel for her beloved green friend.

He stood behind her as he wrapped his towel around them both. Usually his skin was cold to the touch, but now he was fairly warm, hot even. She sighed in deep content with his muscular arms enveloping her like that.

Even though he was a member of the dangerous Purple Dragons gang and a professional assassin overall, she felt completely safe within his loving grip.

She knew the real him and he was a truly kind, decent person.

"I love you." she said tenderly, leaning back into him. Rose felt him tighten his embrace, holding her even closer.

"I love you too..." he replied nuzzling, gently nipping her neck, then her left ear. Don understood how Mikey felt about Kameko then. He loved Rose more than his brothers at this point. So much that it almost scared him.

* * *

"Are you **_sure_** you're ok?" Mikey asked Angel when they walked down the sidewalk together. Jane Goodfellow brought Angel to the Turtles' favorite manhole where Mikey had been waiting for her.

"Yes, Mike. I'm fine now." Angel's tone was a bit rude. The doctors kept insisting that her aunt pick her up instead of Jane since the vet wasn't a relative. Thankfully, Angel was able to sign herself out and escape.

They didn't believe she was an adult, especially since she didn't have an official ID such as a driver's license. Hun forbade his workers to get anything issued by the law.

All Purple Dragons had to be untraceable citizens, not law abiding citizens. So, Angel was irritable from all that, but she didn't forget who saved her life either.

"Thanks to you." Angel added fondly, giving Mikey a hug. He returned the embrace with much warmth. He could feel it in his heart that he truly cared for her. It was good to be able to love again...

"I'm so glad you're alright." he whispered in her black hair. Well, it was partly purple still, but her black roots were really showing. He liked the raven color of her hair, it reminded him of Kameko in a good way.

They pulled apart, somewhat feeling shy of their fast developing affections for each other. Angel's had been born from lust before, now she really started to like him for him.

And he was becoming fond of her in the same manner. As it should be for true lovers. Mikey cleared his throat before he picked something off the top of the nearby closed manhole cover.

"This is for you." Mikey held out a large bottle shaped package wrapped in gold tin foil with a red bow tied at the top. Angel opened it quickly and found it was a bottle of expensive wine, made during a great year. It was aged perfection.

"Oh, Mike... You're so sweet." Angel gushed, smiling. "Share it with me?"

"I was hoping you'd ask. We totally need to celebrate you getting well and all." Mikey boldly nuzzled her, which she welcomed. She pecked his muzzle with a kiss, making him smile. Then he slapped his forehead as he realized something.

"Aww, sh-t! I didn't check around to see where a good party is happening tonight. I should have, knowing you were getting out of the hospital. D-mn!" he swore, feeling dumb.

"No biggie, Mike. I know this one guy, Barry, who has parties every frickin' night." Angel told him, putting her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"He's sorta..kinda like a drug dealer, but he doesn't ever put his precious merchandise in the alcohol. So you won't get high or anything. The worst that can happen is getting drunk." Angel explained.

"If you're ok with all that, we can go there. Barry is cool with people dressed up as animals...or people who really are animals." Angel said, half-grinning.

Mikey smiled back, taking no offense as Don would being called an animal. He liked his terrapin blood, being a turtle was awesome! Especially being a Mutant Ninja Turtle.

"Radical! Let's go." Mikey replied, anxious to get tipsy. Escaping the real world momentarily by being intoxicated was a blissful fantasy in its own right. In that state, everything looked good, felt good, tasted good...

If he saw any drugs there, then he would tell Casey to help him with his job. It may ease the new tension in their relationship with that big lug. Mikey could tell Casey wasn't exactly on happy terms with them anymore.

The weirdest thing happened when the ex-Purple Dragon and ninja Turtle went to Barry's place. The drug dealer threw himself at the orange clad terrapin's feet, begging for mercy.

"Ohh, please _don't_ kill me, Death! Please! I promise to pay ALL my dues next week! I mean it! _Please_ give me until next week! **PLEASE!**" Barry pleaded, whimpering like a baby.

"Uh, Dude? You're totally soaking my feet." Mikey shook his head at the blubbering man.

"Oh! Sorry! So sorry! I thought you were here to remind me to pay my markers." Barry was in disbelief. He wasn't going to be killed? Whew!

"Nah, dude! Angel and I wanna crash here. Is that ok with you?"

"Of course! Anything you want! Angel, wow! I thought Hun had you killed. It's good to see you're still kickin'!" Barry said, eager to please Mikey, whom he thought was Don. He was trying to be as hospitable as he could so he wouldn't be marked up for a hit or butchered on the spot.

"Well, me and my Turtle buddy here are gonna celebrate my getting out of Hun's clutches with this and more." Angel held up the wine bottle, shaking it a little.

"No prob, chick! Come on in! The party's just getting started!" Barry said nervously, stepping aside so the two could enter his house.

Mikey attacked the snack table, devouring the chips, popcorn, and pretzels. He raided the kitchen, eating more. He was so hungry, he even ate the baking soda in the back of the ice box too.

Barry wasn't too happy to be cleaned out of food, but he went out to get more without complaining. A full assassin was a content assassin who may be more open to reason than to slicing necks open.

Mikey looked around, visually soaking in this party. People were drinking and smoking everywhere. Some were snorting cocaine at a glass coffee table and a couple was having sex out in the open on the living room floor.

Since Mikey was a fan of most things carnal, he saw the couple making love more as an art form than filthy wanton. He was about to call Casey to bust the people doing drugs, but he kept getting distracted by that boisterous couple.

So he continued to sit on the steps of a carpeted stairway, enjoying the view. Angel returned to him with a six pack of beer. She was beginning to get drunk after downing a quarter half of that wine.

Mikey already had the other quarter half. She wanted to save the rest for later. She sat next to him and handed him a can of beer as if it was a grand gift of gold.

"Mike, can I stay with you?" she asked then, almost out of the blue. She leaned against him while he smoked a short cigarette. She pulled the pack from his belt to get herself some, borrowing his lighter.

"I know before I said I'd be better off with the Purple Dragons, but I don't think I can go back to them without getting killed. I'm pretty much a traitor to them since they know I'm with you."

Mikey's beak was tightly closed in a grim frown as he came to the decision to allow Angel to remain with him. She watched him exhale slowly as if he was deeply thinking, the smoke flowing from his nostrils like a dragon.

"Yeah, you better stay with me." Mikey said, finishing his third cigarette. She held the pack out as he grabbed another one. "I won't let you go back to those motherf-ckers ever again. I'll figure out something..."

They sat together, drinking and smoking for a long period of time as they watched Barry show off sneak previews of his latest movies to be sold in adult stores soon.

Angel rubbed Mikey's bare thigh lovingly while they viewed the adult movies. They smiled at one another all-knowingly. Mikey felt as if he was reliving the times when he first got intimate with Kameko.

They too had been watching suggestive movies one night in her room and the next thing, they were making love tenderly. To experience that wonderfulness again would be truly awesome...

Soon, the other inebriated partygoers viewing Barry's smut movies to begin having dirty sex in front of everyone. For once, Mikey wasn't as ridiculously drunk as he usually got at parties and tried to keep himself reserved.

But then a beautiful fantasy unfolded before him. Angel guided him upstairs to an empty bedroom and seductive foreplay followed. She trailed her hands down over his body, rubbing and stroking.

He tried to be tame by kissing and hugging only, no wild groping like a lust-filled maniac even though he wanted to feel her up badly. She wasn't small in the rump and bust department afterall.

But he lost all control when she fondled his tail. In the dim light, Angel almost appeared like Kameko in some ways, especially the inky blackness of her soft long hair.

She was like a beautiful illusion of his past love, running her fingers over him in a manner so remarkably similar to Kameko's touches. He knew Angel wasn't Kameko, but she gave him such pleasant reminders of her that he couldn't refuse her advances.

He helped undress her, enjoying every naked bit of her. His eyes savored this visual feast of her nicely developed female physique. He would never tire of it.

She was like living art, each part well toned and firm. Angel's legs were long and smooth, not a speck of hair on them. Same with her arms, blemish-free and strong with small muscles. Every inch of her had a nice tan. Seductively sweet and beautiful...

Angel easily got Mikey down on his shell in the bed to let loose her drunken passions upon him. He relished her bare body against his green flesh, thrilled to see and feel her like this.

She welcomed his hungry groping and gentle biting. She came up with a idea then. A game! Mikey enjoyed a stupid game they were playing where he was the 'girl' and she was the 'guy' 'raping' him.

"Squeal if you like it, you d-mn b-tch!" Angel spat rudely, acting like the tough male here.

Her words were mean, but her expression was lovingly sly. Mikey squeaked out his best feminine cries, causing them both to laugh so hard that they couldn't breathe.

"H-ll, Mike! You sound just like a d-mned sissy!" she snickered, leaning back on his raised legs while she straddled his middle. He looked her over again and again, loving the sight.

"Do you think I'll make it as an actor?" Mikey asked playfully, running his hands up and down her bare curves.

"Yeah. As a pussycat." Angel closed her eyes in deep pleasure as Mikey's hands caressed her breasts. Suddenly, she was on her back with him over top of her instead.

"As much as I love cats, I ain't one. I'm a Turtle and I'm gonna show you what I can do..." Mikey said amorously, proving how perfectly masculine he could be.

He took the lead, giving both Angel and himself sweet delectable pleasure that lasted for hours until they passed out from exhaustion. With a woman that he loved next to him in bed, Mikey was able to sleep soundly.

Sleeping well was something he hadn't been able to do since Kameko's death. He felt more content with someone sleeping with him. Splinter used to allow him to sleep with him until he was seven.

Yes, his brothers teased him for being a baby for so long like that. Splinter forced Mikey to sleep by himself and it took him months to stop going back to his father to sleep with again. Eventually, he did sleep alone, but he never liked it.

When Kameko filled that bedside gap, he was pacified mentally. When she was taken from him, he was reminded of his loneliness and Splinter's death again, which he took very hard.

Now, Angel was helping him with these losses. Although she could never fill the void Splinter left him and his brothers with, she could ease the pain Kameko's death had left him with. It was a soothing sensation that made him feel safe and happy.

In the morning, he was half-awake when he realized where he was and who was sleeping next to him. In a pleased daze, he slipped his arms around Angel before drifting back to sleep.

Half an hour later, both were startled by Barry throwing open the bedroom door and telling them to get up. The party was over and he was clearing out the guests room by room.

"Hurry up and get going before I lock up the house." Barry said loudly and left them alone. He was too flustered to remember to be 'nice' to Mikey.

Angel sat up in surprise, holding a blanket to her chest in shock and worry. Did she totally have kinky hardcore sex with Mikey last night?

The semen stains on the bed and her stark nudity proved that to be so. She couldn't afford birth control pills anymore, plus she forgot to use condoms!

Fear shot through her. What if she got pregnant? How could she explain a baby that looked something like a mutant Turtle to her ailing aunt and friends?

She couldn't possibly support a baby either. She didn't really have a job, even when she was a Purple Dragon, they didn't pay her much for her duties. She felt so scared and uncertain of the future.

Mikey was concerned as Angel was, but on different issues. If Donnie could make a baby with Rose, then he probably could too. But was he ready to be a father? He wasn't sure he would be good enough to be a parent as well.

Curse his overly sexually active ways! He wanted to have real sex so badly that he overlooked many things on purpose.

Money wouldn't be too much of a problem since he was employed by Karai, yet what kind of parent would he be with a job like that? How would he explain things to the kid when he or she got old enough?

He could imagine Angel trying to explain to their child about what he did for a 'living'.

_'Mommy? Where's Daddy?'_

_'Daddy's away killing people so we can have food on the table, dear.'_

Definitely not something to boast about. Maybe if Mikey could be successful as a writer and or an artist, that would take care of the money explanation part. Being a writer or artist was much more respectable and law abiding than being a hit man.

Angel yanked her clothes back on while Mikey avoided her eyes by staring at his feet as he held his head in uneasiness. If he did bring a new life into this world, Leo would expect him to do his best for the child.

But what if his best wasn't good enough and he turned out to be a terrible father? The self-doubt was killing him. Splinter would be so ashamed of him and turn in his grave if Mikey failed at being a good father...

"Mike?"

"Huh?"

"We better go. Barry doesn't like it if people hang around his pad too long in the morning." Angel squeezed her eyes shut as the pangs of a hangover hit her.

"Oh. Sure. I'll take you to the Lair. I'll get you a nice place to live after I talk to Karai." Mikey said, standing up. Angel wasn't too keen on having Karai know her predicament, but she had no choice.

"You know, I'm not crazy about Karai, but I trust you, Mike." she replied. "Lead the way..."

**To Be Continued in Chapter 38!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
How will things go for Mikey and Angel?  
Bad blood appears between Don and Cleo when she protects a pedophile. Is this the end of their friendship?  
What will Leo do once he discovers that his own little brother is a Purple Dragon and one of their best assassins? Will Leo be understanding or ban Don from their terrapin brotherhood forever?**

Raph's fetish for bloody carnage during a deer hunt worries Mona Lisa into thinking he's hyper mutating into something evil. Will her serum keep the beast within him contained or will she be on menu?

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	38. Father & Son Moments Beyond the Grave

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.38

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, and Splinter (spirit), also Hun, DragonFace, and Cleo.  
This chapter has sweet father and son loving moments between Splinter and Donatello, enjoy! ^_^**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

One night, Don made his way over to the warehouse where Hun's recruiting cage matches were held. He knew if he didn't do those stupid cage matches, DragonFace would have the newbies butchered.

He entered the place and immediately checked to see if DF had put his pay where he said he would. The money wasn't there as Don assumed it wouldn't be.

Irritably, Don asked around to where DF was. Most didn't know. While he was searching for that thieving snitch, DF's buddies didn't like how Don was demanding to see him.

Unable to avoid a fight by using his street creds, Don evaded the thugs' attacks, which in the end knocked over a lot of merchandise the Purple Dragons had stolen. The crashing sound from the wide screen TV's breaking caused Hun to appear out of his office.

"**What the F-CK'S going on out here?!**" he screamed, annoyed to be interrupted during a meeting with a high-paying client.

"What are you IDIOTS doing? Stop making _so_ much noise! _Can't_ you see I'm _trying_ to conduct an important business transaction?!" Then he noticed Don.

"Finally! **Get in here!**" Hun ordered and went back in his office. Don slammed his bo staff backwards to knock down the last remaining thug who trying to attack him from behind before going into the office.

"This here is my Deliverer of Death." Hun said proudly, holding his hands out to Don as if he was a splendid piece of weaponry. Don frowned at the refrigerator-sized thug.

Even though Mikey had perforated Hun with shurikens, he didn't hold anything against Don for it. He didn't have time for revenge now that he was a PR for Don's murderous skills.

"What's he supposed to be? Some kind of animal?" the client named Vesta Simms asked, raising an eyebrow. "I want the real Death, not this..whatever he is."

"I'm telling you, THIS is Death _himself_!" Hun was vexed that Simms was not taking his best weapon seriously. He needed to convince this mob general that Don was perfect for a high-priced hit.

"Yeah whatever. So, what exactly can he do? I need a slayer who can make bodies disappear." Simms picked his teeth with a toothpick. Knocking off some disobedient members of the mob was mandatory now.

He needed a really good hit man for it so he wouldn't get in trouble for getting rid some of his own. He took a long drink of his shot glass and waited.

"He certainly can make bodies disappear!" Hun boasted, grinning. "He has a taste for human flesh afterall."

"No I don't!" Don cried, appalled. He only ate people when he was hyper mutated and even then, if he had his civilized mind, he never liked it. Hun glared at him with a 'you-shut-up' look.

"So he can talk." Simms was not impressed. This quiet pansy certainly didn't seem like the famous Death he heard so much about from other gangs.

"Of course I can talk." Don scowled, then sat in a chair in front of the desk. He was not at all threatening and Hun was alarmed. His rep depended on how vicious Don was as an assassin. If his weapon was a big deal, then so was Hun.

So Hun desperately tried to think of a way to boil up the terrapin's rage so he would look ferocious and enthuse Simms' interest to hire him for the hit.

"Uh, so, Simms. What guys do you want wiped out? You said they raped children, right?" Hun asked, grinning once he saw Don's fists resting in his lap tighten suddenly.

"Huh? Yeah, the one guy always does. His name's Gub. Makes a killing in child pornography and movies." Simms said, scratching his chin. Hun's grin grew wider when he noticed that Don was now trembling angrily.

"How about the other two? Scaff and Moley? Home invasions on the elderly? Anything like that?" Hun went on eagerly.

"H-ll, all three of them do that and a lot more. Wh-" Simms was interrupted by Don then.

"Where are they?" he asked in a low tone through tightly clenched teeth.

"Hey, hold on a minute! I didn't say I hired you. I-"

"**I SAID, WHERE ARE THEY?!**" the violet masked terrapin shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. Don's sudden loud outburst caused Simms to jump and back up. Hun crossed his arms and smiled like a smug cat.

"Simms, you can be smart and hire Death here to take care of your problems. Or you can be stupid and never leave this room alive. What's it gonna be?" Hun asked, knowing the answer.

"Since you put it that way..." Simms said, sweating a little. He wasn't happy to be forced into this, but if this green whatever-he-was got rid of Gub, Scaff, and Moley without leaving a trace, fine.

"They're usually at this night club on the east side where people dress up as animals all the time." Simms added, hastily standing up and tossing photos of the men he wanted dead.

Don noticed one of the men was Cleo's good friend Barry. He pointed to him in the photos.

"What's this one's name?" the purple clad Turtle inquired. Simms took his time answering as he enjoyed his cigar.

"Him? That's Gub. Why?"

Don couldn't believe Cleo was good friends with a child rapist! He wished he had known sooner...

"As soon as I find him...them, they'll be dead." Don replied, taking the photos. Simms tried to leave, but Hun expectantly held his massive hand out for payment.

Simms sighed irritably and slapped a fat wad of cash into his beefy paw before snottily exiting. "Show me some sort of proof that they're dead."

"Of course, that's no problem. Death will gladly bring you their heads as proof. Right, frea- I mean, Death?" Hun looked to where Don was standing, but he was pushing past Simms roughly to go do some justice.

"Hey!" Simms cried, dusting his expensive suit off. Don ignored him and left the building within moments. Simms did have to admit that was one fast hit man. He didn't even wait a minute to go do his job. That was good.

"Nice doing business with you, Simms!" Hun said happily, counting the wad of bills in his huge hot hands.

"Yes..." Simms said, not completely pleased, but not overly displeased either. If Death did his job well, then he could look to him for all his hit man needs.

Don didn't stop until he made it to the hu-animal night club. He went straight to Cleo's office and threw open the door without knocking.

"Donnie-Baby!"

Cleo jumped up from her desk once she saw Don and hurried to him so she could hug him. Don angrily pushed her off and demanded to know where Barry was.

"Huh? Why do you need to see him, honey?" Cleo asked, confused.

"Cleo, did you know all this time that Barry does child pornography?" Don asked in a tight stiff voice of rage.

"Well, I don't like to pry into other people's business, but I was vaguely aware that he does something along those lines. I'm not a cop and I don't judge people."

"So, Barry's pedophilic ways and his making smut films of kids _doesn't_ bother you **_at all_**?!" Don cried, shocked and appalled.

Cleo shifted uncomfortably. She usually got a cut out of Barry's profits, but she wasn't about to tell Don that. He didn't seem to approve of Barry's business.

So instead of answering, she attempted to calm him by tenderly petting his face. Don jerked away as he glared at her, breathing hard. What was WRONG with her?! WHY wouldn't she just answer him?!

"Donnie, sweetie, you've gotta calm down. Barry's... uh, just running a regular business, that's all." Cleo came up with some more excuses for Barry's despicable ways, but Don wasn't listening anymore.

"Tell me where Barry is. Now..." Don hissed through clenched teeth.

"Donnie, listen to me. Hurting Barry won't change anything." Cleo watched Don head for the door then. He hung his head before turning around to give her a disgusted forlorn stare. His fondness for her went down drastically.

"Will you be dancing tonight, sweetie?" Cleo asked, changing the subject and purposely ignoring his disapproving glare.

"No..."

"Oh, come on, honey! My customers are just begging to see you up on stage again! They want you. **_I_** want you..." Cleo said seductively.

"If you really wanted me, you would have loved me. I gladly gave you my body, but you **_never_** gave yours to me. I wondered why and even made excuses for you to trick myself into thinking you cared about me..."

"You only want me to _use_ me, Cleo! Well, I'm _**done**_ being your _product_. **I quit!**" Don said angrily, leaving out the door quickly.

"_What?!_ No! Donnie-Baby! Come back here! Donnie! Don!" Cleo shouted, racing after him. She grabbed his arm and pressed her body to him.

"Don't leave mad, Baby..." she cooed, running her fingers over him. "And don't quit. Please..."

Don shook her off and created some distance between them. He felt tears burning in his eyes. Cleo was the only one to 'pick him off the floor' so to speak when he was shattered from Rose's rejection.

How could someone who appeared to be so nice and wonderful actually be a materialistic monster without even a shred of moral sense? Why didn't he make himself acknowledge it beforehand?

He knew what type of person Cleo was after being around her for a week, but he dismissed her distasteful ways, thinking it wouldn't be a problem. He could handle it... He could handle her.

He tricked himself into believing things would be ok regardless, just so he could stay with her. But they no longer were ok especially now that he just found out she didn't mind child porn. It bothered him to no end. He had been such a fool!

"Cleo... It's over between us. I'm not your sex toy anymore. I simply can NOT work for someone who thinks child pornography is a legitimate business. Period." Don turned on his heel and departed out the back exit. He ignored Cleo's pleas for him to come back.

Ok, breaking up with Cleo wasn't exactly fun, but it was easier than he thought it would be. Leo should be happy now that Don had finally quit his dancing job.

The purple clad Turtle stayed on the rooftop of the night club, waiting to see Barry, Scaff, and Moley either enter or leave the building. Eventually a black sedan pulled into the parking lot after a long while.

Don noticed Scaff and Moley coming out of their car together. The ninja poison-darted them both and within seconds they crumbled to the cold hard asphalt. They were dead.

Swiftly and silently, Don gathered the corpses and put them into the black sedan's trunk. He would drive them away later, but not before finding Barry.

There would be no fast poison dart death for that monster. No. Don planned to make use of his electric shurikens on Barry. A lot. AFTER he hit several home runs on Barry's skull with his bo staff.

But Barry never came to the pub that night. Don wondered if Cleo had called Barry and warned him to hide. Hmm... He didn't have time to confront Cleo on it. He had to get rid of Scaff and Moley's bodies before the sun came up.

So he drove their car back to Hun's warehouse to 'deposit' them. He spotted DragonFace at last and caught up to him to 'chew him out' for not returning his pay like he 'promised' that he would.

The green mohawk-wearing man noticed Don following him out to his car. He tried to get into the vehicle before Don got him, but he was one second too slow.

Don yanked him from the driver's seat and slammed him to a van parked next to DF's car. Immediately the man began to sputter out excuses as to why he didn't return Don's money.

"Look, I-I was caught up with duties all night! I didn't have a chance to put the cash back yet, man!" DF cried, putting his hands up defensively as Don held him up against the van.

"What about the days before, sleazebag? You're **_not_** that busy! I've been watching you. I know..." Don said dangerously. He was in no mood to be anywhere near lenient. He tightened his grip on DF's shirt and hoisted the man a foot higher.

"Ok, ok! The cash's in my quarters, under my bed! In a black shoe box! Now lemme go, d-mmit!" DF gasped as he was slowly being strangled.

"One more thing, DragonFace. Do you know where a monster named Barry lives? He also goes by the handle Gub." Don intensified DF's pain by holding the end of his bo staff to the man's windpipe.

"Barry? Gubs-the-Man? H-ll, yeah! He's lives on Quells Street in a red house near the old Pike Cemetery! Uggh! I can't f-cking breathe! Let go!" DF squealed and Don flung him to the front of the vehicles. He stumbled and fell to his side.

"Why, you bastard! I gave you the d-mn f-cking info and you still wail on me! As-hole!" DF cursed, waving his fist.

"You'd be dead if I was really 'wailing' on you, DragonFace. If you're lying about where my money is this time..." Don trailed off with a murderous glare, sneering.

"I'm **_not_**! Sheesh!" he cried, then contemptuously watched Don take off into the surrounding darkness with incredible swiftness. "D-mn freak..." DF muttered as he picked himself off the asphalt.

* * *

Don knew he should wait until the next night to get rid of Barry, but the thought of more children falling prey to that monster for another day pushed the Turtle on. He had to keep going.

Despite the sun rising, the purple clad terrapin warrior hopped the rooftops and stopped once he was on the only red house on Quells Street. It was near a cemetery, so this had to be the right place.

Using his ninja skills, he checked each room stealthily to find Barry. But the house was empty much to Don's angry dismay. He knew Cleo must have warned him.

He scolded himself for confronting her earlier. A true ninja does his job silently without detection or notice of anyone else. He messed up by talking to Cleo first. Reluctantly, he departed from the house and went to the cemetery.

Although Splinter wasn't buried there, Don wandered about the graveyard. Being an assassin was not something he was proud about. By his hands, he sent more to their tombs early.

Don shook his head as he thought about the humans that actually enjoyed being murderous psychopaths for fun. When he was a very young preteen, he had killed his first human by accident.

But an odd joy filled him from it, making him think he was powerful since he could take lives so easily. Splinter helped him do away with such darkness and thanks to his master...father, Don didn't enjoy killing anymore.

Now he hated it. He didn't like hurting others. The ones that deserved it, well, killing then was easier since it was justice in that case. Killing needlessly was what revolted this Turtle.

His brother Raphael was a different story. Don wasn't completely sure if Splinter was able to do away with all the red clad Turtle's darkness. He seemed to enjoy killing even now.

But Don knew Raph was still a good person inside, despite his frightening blood fetishes. Don half-smiled to himself remembering when he and his brothers called Raph, the Vampire Turtle for years when they were in their early twenties.

Raph actually liked being called a vampire and they still called him one even now. Don paused by a tree to empty his bladder, inadvertently marking his territory.

'I wish you'd come home, Raph.' Don thought, missing his crazy hot-headed brother. He hadn't seen him for weeks now. The cold autumn air chilled the Turtle's bare green flesh terribly. He ran his hands over his muscular arms, shivering.

Running around all night helped keep his temperature up, but now that the action was over, the frigid air hit him hard.

Curse the cold! It only reminded him of the bad times when he and his brothers were hungry tots with not much joy in their lives. They had survived on snow during the winter months due to the extreme lack of food.

Don suddenly realized those times were not as bad as he used to believe. At least, they had Splinter back then...

A lone tear slipped down his cheek. The purple clad Turtle heaved a gusty sigh and knew he had to 'talk' to Splinter. It had been years since he last visited his father's grave.

He avoided going since he felt he wasn't worthy enough to go. He never found a cure for Splinter's cancer, not even now. He felt as if he was an ultimate failure, unable to save his adopted parent from what they all believed was an early demise.

Don headed towards home. He went past the Lair, going down deeper underground. Splinter's grave was halfway to the crystal chambers where he and his brothers had discovered Quarry aka Sydney.

Whenever he went to Splinter's grave before, he went with at least one brother. He never went alone before for safety reasons. It wasn't that he was afraid to go alone, well...maybe a little.

It was so dark down there that even with his natural born ability to see in the dark, it was difficult to see where you were going. So he remembered to grab a high powered halogen flashlight from his lab before he went.

It lit the cavern passageways nicely, so Don felt a bit more at ease. A few odd noises within the tunnels ahead put him on alert, but he didn't smell any dangers approaching.

The only reason they buried Splinter down here was so no humans would unwittingly unearth him. Only Shredder's workers were forced to dig this deep into the Earth.

Sane employers would never make their workers come here, so Splinter should be safe. Don found his tombstone and bowed before it respectfully.

"Father, forgive me for not coming more often..." Don began softly, tears filling his eyes. "I...I felt as if I wasn't...worthy, you know? I could have saved you, but...I wasn't able to... I just wasn't able to... I'm so sorry..."

He bit his lip to hold back the powerful urge to break down and sob. He sat before the grave and pulled out the gifts he brought with him.

"I know how much you love lavender incense, so I brought some with me this time." Don paused before continuing. He placed the incense sticks into the dirt in an intricate pattern and lit them with his cigarette lighter.

Ever since he went back to Rose, he had been using nicotine patches to kick his smoking habit. He was glad he didn't get rid of the lighter though; it was useful for other things.

"Master Splinter..." Don worked up his courage to ask his late father something that had been bothering him. Something that made him believe more so that he wasn't worthy.

"Why do you speak to Leo? You never do that with me... I guess... [SIGH] I guess I don't deserve it... I couldn't save you, so you must be angry with me... Shell, you probably hate me even... I'm such a d-mned failure, I know..."

[[_No, you are not, my son..._]]

Don's eyes widened as he frantically searched around him. That was Splinter's voice! But, how could that really be possible? Splinter had been dead for years.

When Leo said he heard Splinter's voice speaking to him, Don worried for Leo's mental health. But at the same time, he wanted it to be for real, not something Leo's imagination created.

Now, Don was beginning to believe that it was indeed Splinter speaking to them from Heaven. It just had to be! Don knew that he, himself, wasn't crazy. Leo, maybe. Him, no way.

"Father?" Don waited anxiously, wanting to hear him again.

No, he _needed_ to hear Splinter again. If he talked to him, then it would be proof that Splinter did not think of Don as unworthy. Nor angry at him for not finding a cure for his cancer.

The smoke coming from the incense sticks suddenly burst into hot blue flames that connected over the grave and up into the air. A ghostly pale cyan figure appeared with furry arms open.

Don wasn't afraid and thrust himself into the blue fire as Splinter's spirit hugged him. He stroked his son's back while the purple clad Turtle clutched the cerulean blaze to himself, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Father...I'm so sorry for not being able to save you..."

[[_Don't be. Death is inevitable, my son. No matter what you could have done would have never changed that fact. Do not beat yourself up over it any longer. You are not to blame for something that is inescapable._]]

Don wasn't able to say anything more since he was so grief-stricken and sick with longing. He wanted Splinter to be alive so badly. He missed him so much.

[[_Listen well, my son. You must not visit my grave any longer. Not until the red beast has been destroyed first. I appeared to let you know this. Warn your brothers as well. Let them know it is not safe here. Now go. And remember, I will always love you no matter what._]]

The purple clad Turtle felt Splinter kiss his bald green head before giving one last strong embrace. Then, he was gone and the flames went out as quickly as they came.

Coming out of a partially meditative state, Don's senses were flooded by loud clarity. And he didn't like what he was hearing nor smelling. The pitch blackness didn't help ease the Turtle's alarmed state.

The tunnels, which led to the crystal chamber, had a horrific foul odor wafting from it, including a bone-chilling growling sound. That monstrous noise made Don's growling, when he was hyper mutated, seem like a sweet gentle creature.

That's how evil and frightening this growling sounded. Don remembered hearing such eerie sounds from demons and only demons...

[[_**GO, MY SON! LEAVE! NOW!!!**_]]

Splinter's urgent warning prompted Don to gather up his things quickly and the flashlight. He began to sprint towards the surface when he fell hard. It took him a moment to realize something had grabbed his left leg and was dragging him back.

He shined his light onto his ankle and saw a bright red wet tentacle wrapped around it tightly. Frantically, he yanked out his backup dagger and stabbed down.

A horrific demonic scream echoed from down the tunnel far away and the tentacle withdrew, spurting dark purplish-red blood. Don scrambled away, running faster than he ever had in his life.

His instincts told him when he was at last safe from whatever it was back there. He shone his flashlight to his now aching ankle and he grew fairly concerned.

Where the tentacle had been were something like acid burn marks, seared almost to the bone. Surprisingly, the pain wasn't really all that bad, but it could easily get infected. Don knew he'd better treat himself before it did. He couldn't afford to lose his foot over this.

As he got close to the Lair and his lab, he nearly ran into a dark figure. Don screamed in surprise and fright, then calmed down when he realized it was only Leo.

"Are you _**that**_ guilty that merely _seeing_ me scares you?" Leo asked coldly.

"What? No, Leo, you've got to listen to me! Something grabbed me in the tunnels!"

"Don't try to change the subject to get out of trouble! You didn't even leave one d-mned message on the answering machine yesterday, the day before it, nor today!" Leo shouted, getting more angry.

"What the shell are you talking about? I _DID_ leave a message on Tuesday night!"

"No, you did **NOT**!"

"Look, I can prove I called then at least. The answering machine must be broken. Now, just listen to me! I almost was attacked in the tunnels! Look at my ankle!" Don shone the light again to his left leg.

"It doesn't really hurt all that much, but still, it looks awful." Don added. Leo expressed his opinion of how painful it _looked_ by hiss-tsking, sucking air in quickly through clenched teeth.

"What did that? How'd it happen? Something just grabbed you?"

"Yes! I was running to get away after Splinter told me to." Don told him, out of breath. Usually monsters try for victims in the middle of the night, not the middle of the day. Must be a 24/7 thing for them.

"Splinter told you to run away? You were at his grave?"

"Yes!"

"Alone?"

"...Yes..."

"Donnie, you're not supposed to ever go down the tunnels alone. Something could have happened and in your case, something DID happen. Why do you always worry me like this?" Leo asked, putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder.

"Leo, something sinister is down there and Splinter told me to warn you not to visit him anymore. We have to get rid of some red beast. I'm guessing that's what grabbed my leg down there." Don closed his eyes and sighed, worn out.

The pain from his ankle seemed to be decreasing suddenly, which was odd. But the purple clad Turtle was glad for any relief regardless. He would able talk with Leo about Splinter a bit before going to his lab.

"But it was worth it to see Master Splinter again." he said, peaking Leo's interest.

"You saw Father?"

"Yes, he appeared in blue fire from the incense sticks I brought for him. He told me it's not my fault for him dying like he did... I think...I finally believe that now... He even hugged me..." Don said softly, eyes still closed as he leaned against the wall nearby. The memory of that embrace filled him with loving warmth.

"I've never seen him, not even while meditating. I only hear him sometimes. But you got to see him and he hugged you too? You're really lucky, Donnie..." Leo said quietly.

"You can get to see him again too, Leo. We did it before when Shredder kidnapped him, remember?"

"Splinter wasn't dead then, Don..."

"I know, but maybe it doesn't matter. We can try sometime. You and me first. Just in case if it doesn't work out right off, Raph and Mikey won't be forced into disappointment. I don't want to get their hopes up."

Leo could sense something was different about Don. He was more like his old self. The tone of his voice and his usual gentle demeanor tipped him off to this. Did his brother, his real brother, return?

"Alright." he replied, saddened that Splinter had shown himself to Don instead of Leo. Splinter did not have favorite sons, but despite that fact, Leo believed that he always ranked high with coming first in Splinter's heart.

He thought himself as a preferred son. He couldn't be wrong about that, could he? But he started to think that he was since Splinter had not shown himself to Leo.

Not only did Father speak to Don from the afterlife, he had also physically hugged him too. It wasn't that Leo was jealous, just saddened by all that.

Don had been a very bad dishonorable Turtle these past months and then he's 'rewarded' by an exclusive visit from Splinter's spirit? What was Leo doing wrong? He just didn't understand and felt left out.

"I quit my job, by the way." Don said, making Leo gawk at him with joyful disbelief.

"You did?" he asked with extreme delight in his voice.

"Yeah, I did. You don't have to sound THAT happy over it, Leo." Don made a face.

"It's because I really am that happy." Leo threw his arms around his little brother's neck to hug him. "Oh, Don! I'm glad you've come back."

"What are you talking about, Leo? I never went anywhere." Don pushed him off a bit to give him a confused look.

"I meant, you came back to your senses. Now, you can help me hunt down this elusive criminal." Leo told him, hugging him again. The purple clad Turtle was all for putting evasive criminals away, so he agreed.

"Sure, Leo. Who are we tracking?" Don asked, thinking maybe Leo was hot on Barry's trail too. What fun it would be to have his bone-crushing older bro there to butcher Barry too!

"His name is Death. Hun calls that monster his ultimate weapon, the Deliverer of Death." Leo explained, causing all the blood to drain out of Don's face.

"_W-what?!_" he stammered, breaking out into a cold sweat suddenly. **_Oh, CRUD!!!_**

**To Be Continued in Chapter 39!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Leo wants Don to aid him in finding Hun's Deliverer of Death, so he's in quite a pinch. What will the geeky Turtle do now? And what will Leo do once he discovers that Don is Death himself? Will Leo be understanding or ban Don from their terrapin brotherhood forever?**

**Raph's fetish for bloody carnage during a deer hunt worries Mona Lisa into thinking he's hyper mutating into something evil. Will her serum keep the beast within him contained?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	39. Don Finds the Cure & Raph Hyper Mutates

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.39

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, Raph, and Mikey, also Mona Lisa (and a brief cameo of Kano!).**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Don stood tensely as he listened to Leo talk about Hun's Deliverer of Death with much hostility. The purple clad Turtle swallowed hard. Leo wanted to hunt HIM!

"That beast has no soul. He tears his victims apart, literally! Karai showed me some photos of his handiwork. She lost a lot of her men due to him. We really need to get this monstrosity off the streets. And I mean for good." Leo continued, too focused on this upcoming task and didn't notice Don's overly nervous reaction.

"Uh, have... Have you ever seen this Death guy before..?" Don asked, fretting and sweating buckets.

Leo sighed in defeat, wishing that he did. Trying to find someone without knowing his face first would be worse than finding a needle in a haystack.

"No. Hey..! I bet you could invent something to track him down with, right?" Leo asked excitedly. He could count on his smart little bro to find a face to that Death monster. It might not take weeks to locate him afterall.

"Uh, yeah... Yeah, sure I can. No problem..." Don lied, faking a smile.

"Ah, thanks, Don! I knew I could count on you. When you've got one made, we'll head out together. I knew I would find that demon sooner or later. Because of you, it'll be sooner."

Leo walked towards Don's lab then. The geek could tell that his older brother expected him to start creating that 'tracker' right now. Oh, man! How could he ever explain to Leo that HE himself was the all-mighty 'evil' Death?

Don knew that he couldn't tell Leo anything. If he wouldn't understand why he pole-danced, there was no way Leo would ever understand why Don was a Purple Dragon.

He'd never believe that Don was simply trying to be a secret spy agent. Especially not after seeing the bloody aftermaths of his kills of Karai's troops. Don didn't even know that he had taken out Karai's men until Leo said so just a little while ago.

Plus, Leo was only being 'nice' to him now because Don had quit his dancing job. That friendly behavior would end as soon as Leo found out that Don was a PD AND the infamous killer, Death.

He forlornly followed Leo to his laboratory. In the better light, big brother Leo played nursemaid by tending to Don's ankle despite him telling him not to.

Leo's sudden kindness felt odd and artificial to the younger terrapin and it only made him feel worse. Leo eagerly watched Don as he put some kind of a contraption together.

Don's heart weighed heavier and heavier with guilt and that horrible 'far-away' distant feeling he often felt for Leo now. He wanted to tell him the truth, but he feared what Leo might do once he was enlightened.

He nearly cut his arms off when he found out his little brother was into erotic dancing. If he ever learned that Don was a 'ruthless hitman' for Hun and Kano...

The geeky Turtle didn't even want to think about what might happen. So, he decided to prolong Leo's unawareness of who really was Hun's Deliverer of Death for as long as he could.

He wanted to keep Leo being nice to him since he missed his older brother's sweetness for him. Leo had a special relation to each of his younger brothers, all of them different. Don wanted to feel that extraordinary perfect brotherly love from Leo again.

Besides the warmth and love, Don enjoyed being free from Leo's unforgiving hostility. He knew all too well that Leo was stronger than him and could beat the ever-living shell out of him effortlessly.

Sure, Don had quit his job at the hu-animal night club, but he still liked to dance regardless. If Leo found out about _that_, he'd be angry at him all over again. Maybe even angrier!

The violet masked Turtle wished he could explain his feelings to Leo, but he feared that his older bro wouldn't understand and take it all very badly, hating him more.

Don had Leo's love back now and he wanted to keep it that way, no matter what. Even if under false pretenses...

Through his excited impatience to start the hunt, Leo finally noticed Don's 'sudden' melancholy behavior. He thought it was because of the injury to his little sibling's ankle and asked him if he needed to rest.

"Shell, what a jerk I've been! Donnie, if your ankle was bothering you that much, you should have said something to me! I don't want you working if you're in pain. I'll carry you to your room, ok?" Leo started to pick him up without waiting for his answer. Don stopped his overbearing 'mother hen'-ism.

"Quit it, Leo! My ankle isn't that bad, but it's not great either." Don yawned long and loud, opening his mouth wide and making sleepy sounds. Leo's fraternal instincts overtook him.

"You're so tired that you can't even keep your eyes open! Come on, I'm putting you to bed." This time Don allowed Leo to carry him back to the Lair since he wanted to stop working on making a fake tracker anyway.

Jotaro wasn't in the Lair since Leo had taken him to Karai's place for some initial boot camp training. The young rabbit took a shine to Karai immediately and agreed to be trained by a beautiful 'doe' even though she was a ninja too.

Leo wasn't too crazy with how Jotaro was acting about Karai, but at least he agreed to do something. Ever since the brat, er, rabbit arrived, he refused to do anything. He wouldn't even eat!

But once he saw Karai, he suddenly was open to listen and obey. Karai believed that the rabbit warrior would make a fine addition to her troops so she took him in temporarily.

Leo took Don to his room and carefully set him down into his bed in a sitting position. He inspected Don's foot and kept asking him if he needed more medicine.

"Leo, please. You _don't_ have to do this. My injury doesn't warrant such care." Don complained as Leo bent down to pick his feet up to pull his legs over onto the bed so he could fully lay down.

"Nonsense! Your ankle was _seared_ to the bone! I'm **_not_** going to let you walk or go any where until you're fully healed." Leo told him, enjoying the 'caring father' sensation he was getting from all this.

He pulled the blankets up to his younger brother's chin and kissed his forehead. Don shoved the covers off in a rage and sat up, ignoring Leo's protests.

"_**D-mn it, Leo!**_ I'm _**NOT**_ your hatchling! I CAN take care of myself, you know! You're insulting me every time you play this 'father-and-son' garbage with me!" Don cried, fed up.

"Why can't you treat me simply as a **_brother_**?! You USED to! But ever since Splinter died, you've turned into this crazed overbearing psycho with a 'mother hen' complex! All you're doing is driving us further apart! I can't STAND it anymore! Just stop! _Please_!"

Don's shoulders heaved as he breathed hard after that emotional outburst. Leo stared at him in disbelief, then tried to understand what he was saying.

Actually, he did understand, but didn't want to. It felt so mentally pleasing to **BE** Splinter and _**be**_ a 'father' to his brothers. Leo wanted to be a father so badly that he saw his brothers as his own children on purpose.

Also, by 'being' Splinter, it was like the old wise rat was still alive somehow. Well, that's how Leo felt and that was how he lived on without Splinter by pretending to BE him.

"Donnie... I **_need_** to be him... I..._can't_ be a good leader if I don't. So, just let me keep on doing this..." Leo said softly in a low tone, causing his little brother to gawk at him. Oh, man! Leo's really gone nuts here!

"Leo! What you're doing is living a **_lie_**! It's NOT healthy! You'll make yourself _insane_! You _**can't**_ possibly _become_ Splinter! You'll _**never**_ be him, no matter what you do!" Don shouted, hoping to knock sense into him.

The purple clad terrapin warrior instantly regretted speaking once he saw Leo's hands tighten into trembling balled fists...and his sudden flooding tears.

Leo shakily sucked in air as he struggled not to break down from the inevitable truth that stabbed his heart so deeply. If he couldn't be Splinter, then he would be NOTHING!

"I **_HAVE_** to become him!" Leo shot back angrily, tears streaming down his cheeks. He continued in an overemotionally tone. "If I don't, I'll be a failure! A d-mned disgrace to our family...! I won't be fit to lead anyone! What good am I if I can't lead?!"

Don reached out and touched his older brother's upraised fists with both of his hands. He stopped him from shaking and made Leo look at him.

"You're not a failure, Leo. You're...just lost, like I was..." Don said seriously. He went on to tell him how he tricked himself into believing that Cleo loved him and through that telling, he was able to tell him why he danced at the night club in the first place.

Don went to the 'dark side' so to speak in order to forget his old geeky lifestyle which reminded him of Rose. He didn't want to truly be dishonorable; Don was desperately trying to find a way to deal with his broken heart.

To Don's joy, Leo seemed to understand that and the blue clad Turtle calmed down back to his reserved regal self. He sat next to Don on his bed while they conversed. Leo gave him a warm smile.

"I'm glad we had this talk, Donnie." he said sincerely, patting his brother's left shoulder. Leo's eyes widened in surprise when Don suddenly threw his arms around him to hug him hard.

"Shell, me too..." he replied, burying his face into the side of Leo's neck. He felt his brother's arms go around him then and closed his eyes, smiling. How he missed this true fondness from his eldest brother!

He tightened his embrace, savoring the moment. Don was reassured that Leo did still love him afterall. At last, he got to the bottom of his older brother's overbearing weirdness! Hopefully, Leo will return to his real self too, just like Don had.

Leo pulled away, grinning. "You know, we haven't played that 'Smash-Up' game in weeks. You still haven't beaten me yet. We can play it now...that is, IF you're up to it." he said, implying playfully that Don was a wimpy weakling.

"_**I'M**_ up for it." Don cried, smiling back.

"You're not too tired then?" Leo asked, already knowing the answer.

"Come on, I'll show you _who's_ the top brawler in this bale!"

Filled with renewed energy, the geeky Turtle stood, ready to go downstairs. He was indeed tired, but he wasn't too tired to spend some quality time with Leo.

Such time with his older brother was rare, since he was usually too busy training or not in the mood to play video games.

The two brothers raced each other down the steps. Leo jumped on the couch with Don bounce-landing next to him. Leo tossed his younger sibling a Wii controller and they began to play the brawling video game.

They played for hours, yelling and making tons of noise as they 'smashed' each other up. Don let out a loud roaring scream when he finally beat Leo in the game.

He did a wild victory dance, but his ankle prevented him from fully rubbing in Leo's defeat and he fell onto him. Leo pretended to be upset and pushed him off. Then he tackled the purple clad Turtle down to tickle him.

By noon, the two terrapins were pretty exhausted. After wrestling on the couch, Don playfully collapsed onto his older brother and hugged him, yawning. Now he really was tired!

Leo smiled as Don fell asleep on his plastron and he stroked his shell, closing his eyes as well. Soon he slipped into sweet deep slumber, comforted by his little brother's presence.

When Mikey came in later during the evening, he saw his older brothers sleeping together on the couch. They were currently in an odd position, which prompted their mischievous baby brother to tease them mercilessly.

"And people think **_I'M_** gay!" Mikey said loudly, snickering.

"Wha-?" Don yawned, but abruptly stopped when he realized Leo's leg was draped behind his neck and his beak was only an inch away from his older bro's tail.

"_**Ugguh!**_" The brainy Turtle flung Leo's leg off, making him tumble to the floor.

"**Ow!** _What_ the _shell_?!" Leo cried, groggily as he began to wake up.

"It's incest at its finest, folks! Pay a buck to see my bros _**get it on!**_" Mikey teased more, but got a viciously hard punch to the stomach from Leo for it. The orange clad terrapin gagged and expressed his discomfort.

"That's _**NOT**_ funny, Mikey!" Leo snapped angrily, meaning it.

"Yeah, well, it sure looked funny to me! Donnie works with gay people, so I thought-" Mikey tried to say, but then Don socked him a good hard one to the gut.

"You thought wrong, you sick brat." Don told him, pushing him towards the floor. Mikey expressed his displeasure of his older brothers beating up on him by overdoing his coughing and gagging. Loudly.

"Don doesn't work at that night club anymore besides." Leo informed him, causing Mikey to stop his acting and hop to his feet to follow his siblings to the kitchen to find out why.

"_**Aww!**_ How come? The beer and pretzels they have there are great! Cheap, too." Mikey whined, in good spirits. Angel said she had her tubes tied years ago, so he didn't need to worry about her getting pregnant after all.

What Mikey didn't know was that Angel was lying about that. She planned to get an abortion should she get pregnant without Mikey's knowledge.

"Mikey, the owner of that night club doesn't mind child pornography! I can't work for someone like that." Don explained.

"**UGH!** _Gross!_"

"Yes, and we shouldn't go there for any reason. Not even for cheap beer or snacks. Understand?" Leo gave Mikey a 'don't-you-dare-disobey-or-else' glare.

"Ok, ok. So, whatta'we do now?" Mikey asked, scratching his left armpit like a monkey. "Any new info on where that coward Kano's hiding?"

"Not yet. But I know where we can get some. Donnie and I are going to find Hun's Deliverer of Death and question the shell out of him." Leo said, sending much doom through Don then. He was hoping Leo would forget about Death somehow.

No such luck. Mikey's baby blue eyes shone with great interest at this. He looked to Don and just knew his smart older brother would be able to locate one of Hun's best men easily. He had much faith in him.

"Really, Donnie?" Mikey asked happily. They would find Kano with more ease should they catch this Death guy and shake the info out of him.

"Uh, yeah. Of course." Don replied, bending down to inspect his ankle. He removed the bandages and was amazed.

The acid burn marks were healing up nicely. It was extremely odd that it would heal up so fast, but thankfully it was one less thing he had to be concerned about.

"Dude! What happened to your leg?" Mikey cried, staring. The older brothers exchanged glances before the purple masked terrapin sighed and started to explain what happened in the morning.

"Holy sh-t! Something's lurking around Master Splinter's grave?! Shell, I ain't going down there for nothing now! You know how much I hate monsters." Mikey shivered.

A freaky red beast with long wet tentacles was living in the crystal chamber? They didn't need to tell Mikey twice not to go there anymore. He didn't like going there regardless, even to visit Splinter. Too many bad memories.

"Good." Leo replied, then went to get some paper to draw out his new strategy plans to locate and capture Death. Don added in a lot of his own input to purposely lead Leo away from where Hun's spies were posted.

He hated to put Leo on a wild goose chase, but he couldn't let him know that HE was actually Death himself. Not until he learned of Kano's latest hideouts. And he wouldn't get that info until he was approved by Kano through a rigorous test.

So Leo had to remain the dark for now. Don didn't know for how long he had to keep this charade up on Leo. He prayed it wouldn't be for too long though. Leo could be quite vicious and unforgiving after finding out secrets.

* * *

One afternoon, Don found himself with Raph, Mona Lisa, and Rose shopping for a motorcycle. Raph did find the one he wanted and was very pleased. He was almost in a good mood even.

But Don wasn't as soon as he learned that Mona was pregnant. Raph would have a son just like Don used to. He had no idea that his son wasn't dead, but in cryogenic suspension, hidden somewhere in Area 51.

Regardless, Raph's jubilant happiness only added to Don's sorrow. Sure, he was happy for Raph and all, but his achievement kept reminding Don of his 'failure'.

But what worried Don the most was that Leo said he wanted to track down Hun's Deliverer of Death during that week. He expected Don to help him as well, thinking that a common-goal mission would bring them even closer together as brothers.

That whole concept would do anything, but bring them closer Don believed. It sent sheer dread and anxiety through him. This was yet another secret Leo knew nothing about, but with him hunting for Death, he most likely would find out the truth.

Don numbly watched Raph and Mona Lisa ride away on a new shiny red and black motorcycle, waving like a zombie. Rose took him to Karai's secondary base to continue working on a permanent cure.

They stayed long past the normal work hours. As the eleventh hour ticked by, Rose wanted to go home. Don escorted her safely to her apartment, but returned to the labs to continue working.

After the seventeenth hour, Don fell asleep in his chair while he trying to figure out an equation to keep the serum working longer. A symbolic dream appeared in his sleeping mind's eye.

He was floating in a pale blue 'emptiness' type place. Maybe a cloudless sky? He flew happily through the clear space like a bird. His joyous flight was cut short when he felt that terrible stretching inside of him and the 'sky' became pitch black instantly.

Almost like hatching out of an egg, his hyper mutated form broke free from his normal body. Roaring and shrieking like a crazed beast, Don felt devastated as his civilized mind began to slip away.

Just then, a low reverberating sound echoed around him and a large pure white crystal suddenly emerged out of the darkness. The sound got louder and louder until the crystal melted, covering Don completely.

Somehow his body absorbed the liquefied crystal and when it was all inside him, he was back to normal again. "That's it! THAT'S the cure!" he cried in his dream, then a ringing noise woke him up.

"Huh? Wha-?" Don groggily answered his cel phone. He answered it sleepily.

"Don, it's me. You didn't call." Leo reminded gently, no longer the ballistic 'mother-hen' psycho. "...and I became worried. Where are you?"

"Oh, I'm at Karai's secondary base..." Don paused to yawn. "In the labs. I'll come home soon."

"No, no. It's ok. You don't have to hurry home. I'm just making sure you're alright and I know where you're at. That's all." Leo said softly as he glanced over to Mikey sleeping on the couch with a open box of crackers strewn all over him.

The blue clad Turtle smiled at his snoring baby brother. Then he turned back to the phone. "You can sleep over there if you'd like, Don. Just remember to meet me at the water tower downtown later, ok?"

"Uh-huh." Don mumbled, yawning again. "Yup, don't worry. I won't forget. Bye." He hung up and wondered where he could get some more of that Atlantian crystal.

The last batch was long gone years ago when he figured out a way to liquefy the crystal using high sound vibrations. Who knew that he and his brothers would need those crystals later in the future to cure their hyper mutation disorder?

"Where can I get those crystals?" Don asked out loud, talking to himself. The original crystal chamber in the underground catacombs had been cleaned out of crystals years before. Plus, a monster lurked down there now.

Well, there had always been 'monsters' down there before, but those were actually normal humans that Shredder's scientists had experimented on to make them into powerful beasts to do slave work and digging.

Without any crystals, Don and his siblings would be doomed for sure. A hopeful thought crossed his mind then. If those crystals were anything like regular crystals, maybe small bits were left behind in the chamber.

And after all these years, maybe...just maybe, they grew into big enough crystals that he could use for the cure.

Don decided to go down there eventually to find out. Monster or not, the permanent cure was in those crystals. He had to try no matter what the dangers.

* * *

Raph kept low to the bushes and tall grass while he stalked his prey. A powerful male deer with a handsome ten pointed rack grazed several yards away from the hunting mutant terrapin.

The Turtle stayed down wind as he stealthily closed the gap between him and the buck. The stag suddenly lifted its head when it smelled something, but it was too late.

Raph drove his sais into the beast, one into its back and the other into its throat. The creature tried to flee, flailing and tossing its head while it ran the best it could with a heavy mutant Turtle on it.

Raph yanked his sais free and clamped his beak around the buck's throat. A crackling snapping sound was heard as the Turtle bit down with incredible force.

The deer's efforts to fight back grew weaker until it fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Raph tore his beak away, taking plenty of meaty flesh with him. He devoured it raw and sank his teeth into the deer's neck once more.

More blood spurted into his mouth, filling him with strange joy as he drank the deer's life essence. The terrapin's tail swelled with excitement while he swallowed the blood hungrily.

Why or how it turned him on, he didn't know, but he liked it. He didn't give himself any relief in order to save all that desire for Mona Lisa later on. So he continued to eat the deer raw, savoring each and every squirt of blood.

After feasting for a short while, he went to work cleaning the deer and cut away choice chunks of meat for Mona Lisa. He looked up from his butchering and noticed how late it was getting.

The setting sun's light shone through the trees, creating a gorgeous woodland scene that appeared almost magical. Raph shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight and grimaced.

He didn't want to worry Mona, so he hastened his pace and packed up. It would take two hours to get back and by then it would pitch black outside. Not to mention even more bitterly cold.

He had left his motorcycle back at Mona's ranch house. A few days after he got the thing, he tried his luck by asking Rose if she would get him a new truck too and amazingly she did the same day!

It was a beautiful shiny red four by four truck with more than enough power to muscle its way through any terrain. He loved it almost as much as his new bike and couldn't wait to detail it his own special way.

The motorcycle would be for long rides through the city at night, but the truck would be the one to take Raph and Mona across country. He would take the bike too as well.

A road trip was just what he wanted to do with Mona Lisa for a long time now. Thanks to Rose, he finally could do it. He was more forgiving of that human and removed her from his blacklist.

The blood splattered terrapin dragged his prize to the truck and loaded the heavy meat onto the flatbed. He proudly examined the stag's impressive antlers which he kept attached to the buck's head.

"Buddy, yer gonna be stuffed and mounted in my room in no time." Raph said, dropping it to the back and closed the tail gate. He got into the driver's seat and drove back to Mona Lisa's hidden ranch home.

Back at the house, Mona was reading a new romance novel about a couple who had trouble with a jealous ex-lover. The girl, Carol, had been a lesbian, but now she had a male lover, Jack, instead which made her ex-lover, Suzy, feel betrayed and full of rage.

When Suzy was about to bash sleeping Jack's head in with a tire iron, Mona saw truck headlights through a window from behind the house.

Happily, she hurried out to greet Raph as he came down the dirt path, carrying something in a bag. She stopped short when she saw all the blood on him.

Not again! Ever since he got that truck a few days ago, he had been hunting nonstop. This was the third time he came back drenched in blood.

"I'll get the shower ready." Mona told him, going back into the house. "Is that your latest victim?" she teased. He grunted and dropped the bloody bag in the mud room.

"Yup. I bagged myself a ten pointer this time." he said proudly. Mona shook her head, not really into his new fetish for bloody deer hunts.

"I know you like to hunt, but can't you do it more cleanly? People will think murders happened in this house with you tracking blood everywhere." she complained, going to the bathroom and turning the water on to hot.

"Sorry, not my style. I go all out when I slice and dice. I can't help it." Raph explained, stretching his muscles. Mona came out in time to see him doing that and admired his beefy physique.

She paused as she looked more closely. He appeared to be more beefy than usual... Oh no! He couldn't be getting bigger again, could he? She decided to tell him to take the serum again, just in case.

"What's the matter, darling?" Raph asked when he noticed how intently she was gawking at him. "Is there a bug on me?! Where is it, d-mmit?! Oh shell, I hate bugs!"

"No no, silly!" Mona giggled as Raph hopped around trying to reach behind his shell to get the 'bugs' off. "I was admiring your pretty self."

"Oh, you were, huh?" he grinned, pleased. "Well, thank you..." he purred, attempting to put his arms around her. She backed away quickly.

"Ah-ah! Bath first, remember? And hurry up. Whew, you reek!" Mona waved her right hand in front of her nose as she held her muzzle with the left. Raph grumbled since he was denied intimacy with her. For now, that is.

Stepping into the hot shower made the cold Turtle close his eyes in enjoyment. Plenty of scrubbing and soap got Raph squeaky clean. He was like Don and Leo with baths.

He enjoyed getting washed in hot water, especially if he was very cold. It raised his core temperature up sooner than basking did and made him feel more energized and active. He could move and kill faster once he was really warmed up.

He rushed through the washing process as quickly as he could so he could have some fun with his beloved. He came out of the bathroom, rubbing himself dry with a long thick yellow towel.

He located Mona Lisa in the living room, watching the evening news. Playfully, he tackled her down on her back and let his passions loose upon her throughout the night.

As usual, he slept all morning and half of the afternoon before he set out again to the forest. Mona Lisa didn't protest even though she wanted to.

She had a more pressing issue. Raph refused to take her pre-cure serum. He hated the taste of it and he felt just fine, so he didn't think he really needed it.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." he told her, giving her a kiss before he left. "I certainly hope so." she whispered, waving to him as he drove off in the truck. "But I'm going to make a new odorless airborne batch ready, just in case. Then you can't complain about the taste."

Raph returned to the forest and happily went on his usual hunt, using his usual routes. Small critters scattered as soon as they heard and smelled him coming.

He caught a slow squirrel and grinned. The mutant Turtle ate the creature alive in a barbaric manner without a second thought. One hard bite to the skull and it was over.

He snatched squirrel after squirrel, snacking on them cruelly. That frightening cold-hearted behavior was actually a warning sign of his hyper mutation disorder worsening.

About an hour or so later, something was definitely wrong. There weren't any animals wandering about anymore. No more yummy squirrels, no birds, no nothing!

He searched mile upon mile for any sign of normal woodland life, but it seemed like the animals had suddenly disappeared. Maybe they were hiding? They couldn't be hiding that well, could they?

Besides, why would the birds stop singing and flying around? Something wasn't right. Raph stopped in his tracks when he sensed a presence behind him.

He whirled around and saw no one. Annoyed, he turned back to continue walking down the path and sensed he was being followed once more.

"EEE-YAHHH!" Angrily, he whipped around with a flying kick, but again, there was no one. "What the shell?!" Gritting his teeth, Raph sniffed the air carefully as his narrowed amber eyes scanned the area before him.

Seeing and smelling nothing, Raph irritably turned to the path and nearly ran into someone. The red clad Turtle could barely believe his eyes. It was Kano himself!

Out of the blue, Kano began to laugh at Raph like he was nothing, but a joke. His evil loud laughter sent Raph into a rage instantly. Without wasting a second, the Turtle lunged at him to kill.

Quick as lightning, red wet tentacles shot out of Kano's sides and grabbed Raph, halting his attack. The terrapin warrior struggled to get free, growling and roaring his frustrations while Kano kept him suspended in the air. All this happened in a few seconds.

"Obey..." Kano said, his eyes glowing red. The tentacles pierced Raph's flesh and he felt instant burning pain. "Obey me. I will give you power and wealth! I will give you the world!"

"**NO!** I'll _NEVER_ obey you, you **f-cking** _d-mned_ **WHACKBAG**!! _**GRRR!!!**_ Lemme go, you sonnaofb-...! Ahh-ARRGH! _**AAARGGGHHH!!!**_" the Turtle cried in terrible pain.

Raph's body began to grow larger as his teeth became longer and sharper. Sickle-like hooked claws sprang from his hands and he raised his head to scream in anguish.

Kano finally dropped him once he had fully transformed into his final hyper mutation form. What little civilized mind Raph had to begin with as a 'normal' mutant Turtle was long gone.

He snarled and punched down a nearby tree to vent the agony coursing through his hulking body. Kano grinned as he pointed in the direction of Mona Lisa's ranch home.

"Go. Feast. Now!"

Raph raced off and Kano disappeared like a wisp of smoke from an extinguished flame. Two lives hung in the balance...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 40!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
How will Mona Lisa deal with hyper mutated Raph once he arrives to 'feast'?  
Leo wants Don to aid him in finding Hun's Deliverer of Death, so he's in quite a pinch. What will the geeky Turtle do now? And what will Leo do once he discovers that Don is Death himself? Will Leo be understanding or ban Don from their terrapin brotherhood forever?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Will Casey be loyal to his terrapin friends or to his new duties as a cop?  
The Turtles are running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will they receive it in time? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	40. Death of Barry & Leo Hyper Mutates

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.40

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, Raph, and Karai, also Mona Lisa and Bishop.**

**Since I'm in the process of moving, this chapter may be the last update for two weeks or so unless I can update sooner. Enjoy ^^**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Mona Lisa had just finished her dinner and was washing the dishes when she heard a series of heavy pounding against the back door. She also heard a lot of monstrous growling and snorting.

An ugly chill ran down her spine as she froze. What _was_ THAT? Then, she recognized the sounds, well the growling part. Only one person in the whole world growled like that. Raphael!

The hinges on the door began to come undone and Mona hurried away from the back of the house, grabbing the airborne version of her pre-cure serum with her.

She just **_knew_** this would happen! Raph had hyper mutated and now he was a crazed beast out for blood! She bit her lip, forcing herself not to be afraid as she waited in the bedroom for him to break the door down and come for her. She was ready.

Raph did indeed bust the door down and he leapt in, hissing. Long gooey strings of drool hung from his open jaws as he gnashed his sharp teeth together while crawling around on all fours. He paused to sniff for his prey and made his way to the master bedroom.

Mona Lisa couldn't help, but scream at the top of her lungs once he came into the bedroom. This creature looked nothing like her sweet boyfriend Raph, but a horrific beast from the pits of Hell itself!

He was easily three to four times bigger and he could swallow her whole, if he wanted to. That appeared to be just what he was aiming to do, much to her horror.

In a split-second, he jumped for her with an ear-deafening roar. His razor sharp claws sliced her forearms open while she fought to stop him from butchering her. All of this was happening too fast for her to comprehend and react.

Frantically, she tore open the serum container and the tight lid popped off, spreading the pre-cure dust up into Raph's face. He let out a horrendous shriek of surprise and pain, smashing into the clothes dresser as he backed up.

Then Raph fell onto his shell almost comically, groaning in a way only a wounded animal could. His breathing was a weird heavy hollow-ish type sound, very inhuman. Mona's heart thundered in her chest as she shakily took in air, trembling.

He appeared to be immobilized now. Was it really over?

Instead of fleeing in terror, she went up to him and used a clothes hanger to poke his face with. He didn't get up, but snapped his beak at the hard plastic, breaking it into two. A defensive reflex, obviously.

'Ok, I can do this. I can cure him. I can change him back to normal. I know I can. I _have_ to...' she thought, fighting to calm down after almost being killed.

Carefully, she stepped around him and retrieved every last bit of the liquid pre-cure serum she had to give to him. Fearing she may overdose him, she gave one injection every hour instead of everything all at once.

After the second hour, she noticed Raph's size decreasing and by the fourth hour, he remotely resembled his normal Turtle form, although it was still pretty gruesome.

During the entire sleepless night, Mona kept careful tabs on her beloved hourly. She had a loaded pistol with her at all times, just in case. She didn't want to shoot him, but she would to protect herself and the baby inside her.

By the morning, Raph was back to normal, except he had nasty puncture wounds in his limbs. She patched them up and began to doze on the living room couch as she waited. She was in fearful suspense of what the future held now.

As soon as Raphael was fully civilized again, she would make him go back to the city and find Don. Maybe he had created a permanent cure by now. It was clear that the pre-cure serum would no longer be enough to stop the savage beast from emerging out of her beloved Raphie.

* * *

One evening, Leo stealthily made his way into Karai's private quarters. Not for intercourse, but for an important meeting. They were going to work on strategies to find and trap Death.

Leo's eyes scanned the room for any possible dangers. As much as he loved Karai, he didn't trust her anymore. The only light in the large room were blazing torches on tall black metal pedicels, making for a shadowy grim atmosphere.

Karai was sitting expectantly at a low table covered in maps and papers. He locked eyes with her, a solemn expression on his face. It was 'safe' to proceed.

Leo came out from the dark shadows and made his way over to her, his gait handsome and proud. Karai showed no indication of her feelings, but she was admiring his aristocratic walk as he approached.

Unfortunately, there was no time for pleasantries. It was high time to finish this war with Kano and Hun, once and for all. They would start by taking down their best assassin, Death.

"I'm here. What do you have so far?" he said seriously, taking a place next to her on the polished hardwood floor. She pulled several plans out and showed them to him.

"My spies believe Kano's men have been hiding in these locations. Here and there on the west side." Karai pointed on a map with her finger to where she had inked circles earlier.

"Death could be hiding with them. I want to hit them with everything we have at once. That will surely bring Kano out in the open. Especially if we are able to capture his precious assassin, Death." Karai explained.

"I don't know, Karai. That sounds too rash. We have to be sure that he's actually at these places first before we attack." Leo disagreed with her plan. "Plus, we don't even know what he looks like."

Leo sighed, feeling discouraged. How can you hunt and catch someone when you have no idea what they look like? A harrowing dilemma, indeed.

"I will send in more of my spies to these areas so we can discover Death's real identity. That information must be obtained at all costs either by my spies or you." Karai paused and turned her gaze from the maps to Leo. "Have your brothers found anything yet?"

"I've been hunting for Death with Don for days now. Still, nothing. Don't worry. We'll find him, Karai. I WILL find him." Leo promised her, touching her hand resting upon the mess of maps and plans on the table.

She closed her eyes and pulled her hand away. "I know you are doing what you can, Leonardo. But this Death MUST be captured immediately. I can not afford to lose anymore of my men."

"Taking Death prisoner is very crucial to ending this war, I believe. He is the key. He has the knowledge of where Kano is concealing himself. Once I have him, I stand a better chance winning this war." Karai said, taking a deep breath of determination and going back to the maps.

"I want you and Donatello to search these areas from now on. See what you can find." she said, giving him a map. Leo tucked it into his belt and nodded.

"Agreed. We'll do our best to help you." Leo told her, his eyes speaking his devotion for her in volumes. She forced a smile and touched his cheek in a fond gesture.

"Thank you, Leonardo. Without you, I would have lost this war long already." she said, her eyes replying to his with much affection. He opened his arms and she fell into them for a warm embrace.

He was her only true friend in this cruel heartless world. Even though he murdered her adopted father, she held nothing against him for it. She had in the beginning, but in the end, she surrendered her heart to him. She was glad that she did.

"I am grateful of your aid...my love." she said softly, her head against his chest. They held each other in silence, trying to forget the madness they were living in.

Even after getting rid of Kano, there still existed others to take his place. Khan was always a persistent nuisance, as was Hun himself. If not them, then it would be someone else. It seemed like the gang war would never end.

Suddenly, one of Karai's most trusted servants knocked on the double oak doors. She angrily left the sweet tranquility within Leo's arms and addressed the 'intruder' viciously. She cracked open one of the doors, glaring.

"Mistress Karai, I-" Oscar began, but she interrupted him.

"I _TOLD_ you I was _**NOT**_ to be disturbed!" she hissed, clenching her teeth. Oscar nodded, but went on.

"I understand, Mistress. But Agent Bishop is here. He demands an audience with you."

"Tell him I'm in a meeting." Karai snapped, angrily. She was about to close the doors when a voice stopped her.

"I suggest you put that meeting on hold." Bishop said, walking towards her from the hall. Her guards rushed after him. "We're sorry, Mistress. We tried to stop him, but-" they tried to say.

"Silence!" she barked, then turned her angry eyes to Bishop. "You are trespassing. Leave or I will allow my men to use lethal force to remove you from this building."

Her guards pulled their guns out of their holsters and aimed them at Bishop. Leo came over to inspect the situation and the federal government agent saw him.

"Ah, Leonardo! How fitting that **_you_** are here. _With_ Karai... I can help you both with the problem you've been having..." he said strangely, believing that Karai's 'meeting' was just a cover-up for the truth. She must have been fooling around with Leo again.

It was easy for Oscar and the guards to guess correctly to what Bishop was hinting here. And Karai knew it. Instantly, she was embarrassed and ordered her men to get rid of Bishop.

"You are _NOT_ welcomed here!" she shouted at him. Then she looked at her workers. "Get him **_out_** of here!" she barked angrily. Leo raised his arm to reach for a katana. If the guards couldn't make Bishop leave, he sure would.

But the fed agent gave her and Leo an incentive to let him stay and discuss some certain matters. "I certainly can get to the root of your difficulties. I'm sure you would like to know what is preventing you from being...successful."

Bishop knew that Karai was having trouble getting pregnant and so, he was willing to offer to give them free testing to find out why. If he wanted a powerful unstoppable army of human-like mutant animal soldiers, he had to help them.

Since Karai didn't want her men to hear any more of this talk hinting her sexual relations with Leonardo, she allowed Bishop to stay and ordered her workers to go back to their posts.

Leo kept a watchful eye on Bishop the entire time as he took his samples and promised to relay the results to them once they came back.

"And when will that be?" Leo asked, on edge to have Bishop there. It took all his will-power not to just cut him in two. That lunatic forced Don to hyper mutate before and he put one of those accursed collars on him.

Leo knew what it was like to have one around his throat. It was degrading and humiliating, so painful both emotionally and physically. Bishop was just as bad as Hun in Leo's eyes.

But he wanted to know why Karai wasn't getting pregnant and Bishop probably could find out without much delay nor tell the whole world about this. So, Leo reluctantly allowed Bishop to take what samples he needed.

"Tomorrow afternoon. I always make sure things get done as soon as possible. I confused to why you can not reproduce. Your brother Donatello can, so why can't you?" Bishop asked Leo, almost in an accusing tone.

"I don't know!" Leo cried, abashed. "And why are you so d-mned interested in all this anyway? Shell, if you have some sort of scheme planned, I'll-"

"You'll do **_nothing_**, if you want to be a parent, Leonardo." Bishop snapped back, not bothered by his threatening. Leo did want to be a father, so he held his tongue. All the same, should Bishop try anything, Leo would be ready.

"The results will be delivered via certified mail. I wish you both good luck." Bishop said, turning to leave. He was eager to use the samples from Leo's DNA for other purposes besides the fertility tests.

"I don't trust him... I shouldn't have let him take those samples from us... Who knows what will happen now." Leo snarled under his breath once Bishop was gone.

"We must find out why I can not conceive, Leonardo. This is worth the risk." Karai told him. She was frowning too. Not only was she embarrassed like Leo was, she feared what the tests might reveal.

What if she was sterile? Her dream to create her own beautiful family would be destroyed then. But how could she be fruitless? She had a daughter before back when Leonardo was a teenager.

She asked the Turtles to help her get her child back from the Shredder's elite guards, but they were too late to save her. The bloody memories of her slain baby girl was still fresh in her mind to this very day.

She had scattered her baby's ashes in Japan years ago. For a long time, she never wanted another in fear he or she would be brutally taken from her like her first child had been.

After developing a close loving bond with Leonardo, she now wanted to have a child with him. She had no idea that the teenager she had fought against for her father would eventually be her most devoted lover once he was an adult.

He killed her adopted father, yet still she fell in love with Leo despite her initial burning hatred for him. He was indeed special to her, giving her the aid of his swords, his friendship, and his heart.

She wanted to repay him by giving him a child. They were orphans, neither ever knew or seen their real parents. How wonderful it would be for them to create a solid family foundation and have a baby of their own that would know its real parents right off.

Karai wanted that kind of family all her life as a child, but she bitterly came to terms that her real parents were never coming back. Perhaps they had been killed, she never knew.

Giving up on that dream, she made a new one of where she could create a family of her very own. But as she grew older, she knew she didn't have much time left to make that family.

She had to get to the bottom of this infertility issue as soon as possible. She would even trust Bishop to help, that was how desperate she had become. If there was a fast method to correct this dilemma, she wanted to know of it immediately.

Leo appeared to be eager for it too. But he had another pressing issue to pursue. Finding that hateful assassin, Death.

"I'd better get going. Don and I can watch that one hideout tonight, at least. I'll let you know what I find." Leo went to the windows to go. Karai simply grunted an approval and he was gone.

* * *

For days on end, Don 'hunted' with Leo for Death. The geeky Turtle made sure they looked in all the wrong places far away from Hun's spies. They put a stop to plenty of petty crimes as they 'searched' for Hun's Deliverer of Death.

One night, Leo made Don stake out a hideout that was one of Hun's newbie's quarters. It alarmed him since Don had to do work there with 'training' the rookies.

They wasted the entire night there, watching the new members stand around talking and smoking. Leo grew frustrated of the low activity and relocated them to the second place Karai circled on the map.

This hideout was where Hun held the cage matches and did most of his 'business' transactions. Don did his best to hide his nervousness and pretended to be looking out for Death.

As dawn approached, Leo felt so disappointed. He had nothing to report back to Karai with! They simply had wasted entire night just spying on idiotic Purple Dragon goons doing pretty much nothing important. Hun didn't even show his face either. How depressing!

"Come on, Donnie." Leo finally said when he noticed the horizon getting brighter. "Let's go home."

Don silently followed Leo home, wishing he could tell him the truth. But he knew it would ruin his cover, plus Leo would probably blow up at him for not telling him the truth before they wasted the entire night.

He was on good terms with Leo now. He didn't want to chance messing any of that up either. Leo gave Don a loving hug as a thank you for helping him that night, which made Don feel more guilty. He had trouble sleeping that day.

On the next night, Don was able to get Leo to agree on splitting up to 'hunt' for Death. The purple clad Turtle made sure Leo was checking in a part of city where the Purple Dragons never went.

That was the KluTran gang's territory, well their lower division, that is. That portion of their gang was made up of complete newbies and they weren't all that threatening. Leo would be able to handle them easily.

'I'm so sorry, Leo. I don't want to deceive you like this, but I have no choice right now.' he thought as he watched Leo rush off quickly. He couldn't waste any more time 'hunting' for himself when he had real prey to hunt for.

After he would kill Barry, Don would push harder to see Kano so he could finally find that monster's lair and devise a plan to destroy him once and for all.

No need to force his brothers into another bloody battle. Don believed he could stop this entire gang war on his own. Once it was all over and the main threats were eliminated, then he would explain everything to Leo.

By that time, Leo may understand better and Karai could go back to 'ruling' the city. As much as Don didn't like her, she had the guts to keep the underworld organizations in check.

She knew how to run normal businesses with great professionalism and that was how she handled her unlawful enterprises, in a civilized and orderly manner. No nonsense and no unnecessary bloodshed.

Don 'hmphed' to himself as he cracked a smile. That Karai. She was almost like a 'sister' in a way now. She actually was proving herself remotely human these days.

She did what she could to make life easier for Don and his brothers, especially Leo. It was obvious the blue clad Turtle couldn't keep away from her. In the back of his mind, Don knew why and understood reluctantly.

He loved her still. Despite all the bad things she had done to him, Leo's love for Karai remained. But did **_she_** love him? Don wasn't sure yet, but he hoped to find out. For Leo's sake and their family's.

As the violet masked warrior searched the streets for local drug dealers to shake for info on Barry, he was granted good fortune when he spotted Barry himself going into a run-down, cheap bar.

The Turtle could see how nervous the man was, fidgeting and constantly looking over his shoulder. Don grimaced as he tightened his fists.

'That's right, you coward...' Don thought, swiftly making his way down to street level. 'I'm on to you. Cleo won't be able to protect you forever.'

Borrowing a large blanket from a clothesline, Don draped it around himself like a cloak and entered the bar. Barry was at the counter, still looking over his shoulder. But he was looking in the wrong direction when Don sat right beside him, his dagger ready to go.

Don watched Barry buy the most inexpensive drink there. Not wanting to raise suspicion, the Turtle ordered a small shot glass of the weakest alcoholic beverage. Now, it was time to put on a good act as a random friendly drinking patron.

"Slow night, ain't it?" Don asked the uneasy goon. He downed the entire shot glass in one gulp. _**UGH!**_ If only this bar had some decent wine. That drink tasted like shoe polish!

Barry didn't realize that his assassin was sitting next to him and thought he was just another drinker like him. He took a long swallow of his booze and scowled in distaste.

"Yeah, don't I know it! All night, I can't get a break. There's a hit out on me, I just know it. It's screwing up my whole night, d-mmit!" Barry slammed his glass back on the bar.

"Can't sell any of my props. My customers think they'll go down with me when Death strikes. Man oh, man, if I could just get a ticket out of this country, I'd be in the clear." he added, setting his eyes out into the crowd of patrons behind him.

'That's what you think...' the Turtle thought, knowing he would chase Barry to the ends of the Earth to get rid of him.

Don held back his overwhelming desire to stab the jerk to death and decided on luring the idiot away to his doom elsewhere in private. As much as he wanted to kill this monster right away, a fast end would be letting Barry off easy.

Only a long torturous death would be more fitting... And true justice.

"Hey, buddy, no sweat. Just so happens, I've got connections. I can get you a one way ticket out of here, no problem..." Don said, his meaning very different from what Barry thought he meant.

"I'm looking to make some cash, so if you wanna leave quick... Just follow me." Don added, his street-talk and demeanor very convincing. He purposely left the counter and was pleased when Barry stupidly went after him to the deserted streets.

After Don led the foolish man to an abandoned warehouse, Barry began to realize something wasn't right. This guy's 'connection' people weren't any where in sight. Huh?

"Hey, what's the deal here?" Barry cried, a sinking feeling of doom overtaking him. "No one's here!"

Don removed the blanket from his body and stared the child rapist down, flipping on an extra large, extra strong electrical shuriken. Barry recognized Don as the infamous Death from the glowing light and instantly went into fearful hysterics.

"No...no! Oh please God, NO!" Barry cried, backing up to the only nearby door. He jiggled the doorknob to open it, but it was no use. It was locked.

"Don't you DARE talk about God!" Don shouted angrily through clenched teeth. "You dirty rotten FILTHY child rapist!"

"No, no, please! **_Please_**, I'll do _anything_! Just don't kill me!" the man whimpered, putting his hands up in a begging motion.

"You want mercy? Why?" Don asked darkly. "You certainly don't deserve it! I bet you didn't give any mercy to those poor young kids you raped!"

Barry noticed a long metal pipe with a sharp broken edge nearby and snatched it into his trembling hands.

"They enjoyed it!" Barry shot back, brandishing the pipe. Don allowed him to knock the shuriken from his right hand as his left reached behind his belt to get his bo staff. The shuriken exploded with a loud pop as it hit some pipes.

"You are **_insane_!** Children **_do NOT_** enjoy being raped, you monster!" Don shouted, whipping out his bo staff and whacking the pipe from the man's hands in one quick motion.

Don could tell this human would never change. How DARE he ask for mercy?! It wasn't too often that Don lost his temper, but now was a time when the Turtle couldn't hold back his rarely seen intense rage.

The geeky Turtle's wrath rivaled Raphael's even, that's how explosive it was...

"N-now, now, w-wait a second here, Death! I-I didn't mean it! Here, take all my money! Just let me go! I have to-" Barry's words were cut short when Don slammed the end of his staff to the left side of the man's head.

He tumbled and slammed into the nearby concrete wall, collapsing to the floor. Don raised his bo high and brought it down fast and swiftly upon Barry. Again and again and again.

"You have to _**DIE**_! **_That's_** what you have to do!" Don roared, beating Barry viciously. The man cried out and screamed in agony while the Turtle gave him a vicious smack down.

"**No!** Stop, _please_! Death, no! I give! I give!" Barry begged as he felt his bones breaking one after another. Don was now punching the human closer to his end with every bone-shattering hit of his bare fists in a rage.

From day one when Don was a very naughty young teenager surfing the internet for pornography, he had seen plenty of sites of that featured child porn.

It was something he saw more often than not when he was trying to find fully grown women nudie pictures and movies. The entire concept of naked little kids being forced or tricked into doing sick acts easily ignited an enraged fire of animosity within Don and all his brothers.

During all his years fighting crime as a vigilante, Don had seen the hurt from afar of raped victims and was struck deeply. The elderly, teenagers, and especially the children. The hurt was strongest from the young kids; their lives shaken and forever shattered all because of those accursed pedophiles!

It was something that _needed_ to be stopped. The city NEEDED to be cleansed of those monsters who preyed upon children and the weak in general. And he was going to start doing so by getting rid of Barry permanently.

Sex was supposed to be a beautiful special thing shared by two people in love. Not something to be used to satisfy some sicko's revolting sexual appetite upon unwilling participants, especially not little kids!

"...please... I'm sorry..." the man wheezed pitifully. Don's features were tightened in hatred and rage as Barry's blood sprayed up onto him with each continuing punch. The Turtle momentarily forgot that such a thing as mercy existed.

"No, you're not!" Don snarled at him and back-flipped away, shoulders heaving. "This is the end... For you. And the beginning of the end for all your disgusting sick-minded kind!" He threw out his arm and six deadly electrical shurikens sank into Barry's body.

An explosion of white electricity lit up the small warehouse. The crackling and sizzling of human flesh being burnt instantly could be heard and smelled. The man didn't even have a chance to scream.

Barry's eyes had popped out of their sockets and every opening from his ears to his mouth were oozing with burned blood. Don covered his muzzle from the stench and left the warehouse.

He went to the rooftops and when he was a block away, he decided to call Hun to let him know that all of Simms targets were now history.

From a short distance away, Karai's best spy watched and listened. 'So, Hun's Deliverer of Death is actually Donatello!' Sala thought. The female spy's eyes narrowed as she listened to Don talk to Hun as if they were old 'buddies'.

"And I demand to have an audience with Kano." Don told Hun, fed up with waiting forever on getting his last test.

"You said he would have the test ready for me last month and it's been weeks now! Tell him I want to meet with him or else I'LL create my own gang and screw you all over! Got it?" Don threatened, bluffing on the part where he would start his own gang.

Hun feared that Don was strong enough to back up his threats since he thought Don could hyper mutate at will. So he assured him that Kano would meet with him by the end of the week.

Don sighed as he closed his cel phone and wiped some blood off his face. He had to get the locations of Kano's new hideouts and the only way he could do it was by meeting with that lunatic.

Once he knew where Kano lurked, Don could start leaving some nice bombs...

The purple clad Turtle turned to leave as Sala disappeared into the darkness. She had to report this information to Mistress Karai immediately.

Don paused when he sensed someone fleeing. Who was spying on him? He was about to find out when that ghastly stretching agony stopped him.

He held his middle, groaning. He had taken plenty of the new version of the serum, which was supposed to last longer. But it didn't seem to be working.

'I've got to go back down into the caverns and find some of that crystal...otherwise my brothers and I are doomed...' he thought, heading towards Rose's apartment complex where he had left some vials of the original serum.

He hated to wake her in the middle of the night like this, but this was important. Sleepily, Rose emerged from bed and unlocked her balcony doors to let him in.

"Don, it's almost three in the morning..." she complained, yawning. Other than seeing him time to time at the labs, Rose didn't get to spend much time with him after work.

He didn't come over to her apartment for a full week since he was so busy, working endlessly on finding a cure for his mutation disorder. This was a normal routine she had experienced with him before at Kameko's island.

They would spend some time together in one powerful go, usually a few days straight, then have a long lapse before they went out again. That way they had time for each other and plenty of alone time as well.

Rose enjoyed that. She could have sweet outings with him, yet have her freedom too. Her own personal private time all to herself and her own experiments. Ones that Don thought were too mediocre for his tastes.

Although, it was nice to see him again outside of work, she did need to get a full night's sleep. Don didn't want to worry her, but he had to inform her of his upcoming and dangerous crystal mission. If something should happen, at least she would know where to look for his body.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I-"

"You're covered in blood!" Rose gasped, taking a better look at him. "You... You killed someone, didn't you?"

"I had to. He was a child rapist." Don replied as Rose stood numbly.

"I understand." she said softly. Although she knew that Don was a skilled assassin and accepted that fact, she wasn't going to be joyous whenever he took lives.

"Rose, I need to tell you something. I'm going on a mission to the center of the Earth." he said, liking how cool that sounded. It was vaguely true too.

"What?" She gave him a quizzical stare.

"I need to find crystals, special crystals, that will halt my mutation disorder. I have had a dream for nights now that these crystals are the real permanent cure." Don looked in her closet for his backup serum vials he left.

"When I was a teenager, I've seen these crystals reverse horrific mutations in humans." Don explained to her about how he and his brothers found Quarry aka Sydney and her distressed friends in the caverns.

"There's just one problem, well, a bunch actually. My father is buried near there and he warned me not to come back down there." he began. Rose had to stop him.

"Wait, I thought your father died of cancer. How can he 'warn' you not to go there anymore? I don't understand." she said, waking up more after hearing that.

"Because of our spiritual connection, he spoke to me from beyond the grave. From Heaven." Don told her proudly. She watched him drink two vials of serum as her brain tried to 'digest' what he had just said.

"But there's no such things as ghosts, Don..." she said quietly, having a hard time accepting that a dead person was talking to her lover. She hated to think such a bad thing of him, but she thought Don was a little crazy.

Yet in the back of her mind, she hoped this was a real thing. If it was, then she could 'talk' to her late mother, whom she missed dearly.

"I'd like to call them spirits myself. And it was him. He hugged me too." Don happily relived the moment as he illustrated it out in colorful words and emotions.

"I still don't understand." Rose said, confused, but hopeful. She wasn't really at all a spiritual person. She knew that Don's brother Leo was, but she had no idea that Don was too.

"I'll show you sometime. But first, I need to go get those crystals. Although, I might not come back alive..." Don wished he didn't have to say that. Still, dying during this mission was possible unfortunately. His lover's eyes widened.

"Don't go then." Rose's blue-green eyes pleaded with him.

"I have to. The serum won't stop me from changing...into a monster. It's losing its potency. I need a permanent cure and those crystals are it. I really have no choice. I must go." he said. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly in both of hers.

"Not without me." she said firmly.

"Rose, no. I can't take you with me. You might get hurt or killed. I'd never forgive myself, if something happened to you. It's the same reason why I won't ask my brothers to go with me either."

"I can not..._will not_ let you go by yourself. I want to go with you." Rose squeezed his hand harder. "I won't forgive _myself_ if I let you go. I already did that before, I won't do it again...!"

Her meaning struck him and he relented reluctantly. "...Alright. But you're to stay in the Tunneler at all times. Its defenses will protect you if we're attacked." He then relayed her his mini horror experience with the red beast and its tentacles.

"Do you still want to go?" Don asked, wishing she would change her mind. As much as he knew why she wanted to go with him, it would make his mission more difficult since he would be worrying about her safety the entire time.

"Yes. If you get injured, I can help you." she said with much devotion. He nodded in agreement.

"Then, it's settled. We'll be leaving tomorrow night. Be ready." Don said, then told her to be prepared as if they were going on a 'camping' trip.

Even with the Tunneler, the journey wouldn't be a short one whatsoever. The search for crystals would be difficult. Without the Crystal Moon, any crystals they might find would be dead.

But Don believed he had a method to revive them, should he be lucky enough to find any that is. He prayed he would find enough for himself and his brethren. Don turned to the glass balcony doors to leave then.

"I will be." she replied confidently. He nodded again before he disappeared into the darkness. Rose closed and locked the doors, sighing. 'If we have to die, at least you'll be with me, Donatello...'

* * *

After having no luck on his hunt for Death, Leo decided to return to Karai's home to find out what the results from Bishop's tests were. He entered like he usually did at the south side and found Karai having a serious discussion with Bishop.

Puzzled and annoyed, Leo made his presence known. Bishop didn't beat around the bush about the results and told him outright without warning or any mercy.

"Leonardo, the test results indicate that you have a severely low sperm count." Bishop said coldly, as if Leo was a terrible troublemaker. Utterly shocked at what he just said, Leo gawked at him in stunned silence.

"W-what..?!" Leo finally squeaked out. "That-...that can't be!"

"I'm afraid it is. I've given the results to Karai. You can discuss the matter with her on what you'd like to do about it. Remedies do exist." He paused to clear his throat.

"For instance, there is special medication I can offer you from my labs. It's experimental mind you, but it should increase your chances tenfold. May instantly correct the problem even." Bishop pointed out.

"We would like that." Karai said, ready to get this issue out of the way.

"_**NO!**_" Leo said loudly, then lowered his tone. "N-no...thank you." Leo hated how his voice was wavering there. He couldn't believe this! He had a low count? No wonder he couldn't impregnate Karai!

Having such a problem shamed Leo, making him feel less of a 'man'. At this rate, he would never become a father. Thinking this depressed Leo even more.

Bishop's special medication could help increase the chances of Karai getting pregnant, maybe even make it a sure thing. Even so, Leo wasn't about to trust that loony government agent with prescribed remedies.

Afterall, Bishop could be lying and just trying to poison them instead. So accepting medicine from him was definitely out.

Leo was extremely devastated by the fact that he had a severe infertility problem, that he didn't believe anything at all would help just the same. He wanted to hide in his shell and never come out again.

"Very well then. I'll let you two decide what to do about this. You know where to reach me." Bishop said simply and got up from his chair to leave. He grinned evilly when he heard Karai yell at Leo for not accepting the meds once he shut the doors behind him.

'Leonardo will crack eventually. He'll give in. They all do.' Bishop thought to himself, Leo's heated rebuttal growing fainter as he walked further down the hall.

"Why did you not accept his offer, Leonardo?! It will **_work_** for us!" Karai shouted at Leo angrily as soon as Bishop left the room.

She was willing to do anything to make this work, even take Bishop's highly advanced and possibly dangerous medication. She wanted to try any available methods, despite the risks.

"Are you _**insane**_?! He wants to feed us **_poison_**, **not** a cure!" Leo argued back that if they did accept that new experimental drug, they might as well sign themselves up to be guinea pigs for that madman.

Karai let her lover know right then and there how much she despised his unyielding stubbornness and accused him of knowing who Death really was.

Karai's spy Sala had just told her of what she had seen and heard Don doing hours earlier that night. She was none too happy. How could Donatello be Death? What secrets did he relay to Kano so far?

"I had enough of your relentless pig-headedness, Leonardo! You will stop being so ridiculous, if you wish to be a father!" she shouted, then narrowed her eyes more. "And I believe you know who exactly Death is as well!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Leo shouted, appalled that she would even think like that. "I have no idea who that monster is!"

Karai gave him a surprised look. Leonardo really didn't know who Death was all this time? He couldn't be THAT stupid and blind, could he?

"What a fool you are, Leonardo." Karai scoffed, glaring. "If I had siblings of my own, I would keep a MUCH closer watch on them."

"_**What?!**_" he cried, insulted. After all his crazy in-depth 'mother-hen'-ism, Karai had the **_nerve_** to say he wasn't watching his brothers well enough? **How dare she!**

"If you had," she continued coolly. "You would have known that your own brother Donatello IS Death _himself_! He has been working for Kano all this time!"

Leo was speechless at first, blown away by her audacity. Then his features tightened into extreme rage. She had **_NO_** right to accuse Don falsely like that!

Since Leo was cushy with Don once more, he trusted him completely. So naturally, he became very protective of his little brother and demanded proof of Don being a traitor.

"I want evidence. Now." Leo said testily, his eyes burning. "I am VERY close to my brothers, especially Don. He's NOT a traitor! He would **_never_** betray our code of honor... He would NEVER betray our brotherhood! How **_dare_** you even say such a thing?!"

Karai sneered at him. How dare he not believe her! He would pay for treating her like a liar...

"It is the truth." she replied indifferently. "I suggest you look into whom Donatello has been calling these past months. Check his phone records! Ask him yourself even!"

"There's nothing to ask him. He's **_not_** a traitor, Karai..." Leo said in a low venomous tone.

She angrily unsheathed a long dagger strapped to her leg. She pointed it at him in a threatening gesture. If he would not listen to her, then he had to leave.

"Get out! You are no longer welcomed in my private chambers unless I notify you otherwise!" she shouted, seething.

"Don't worry. I'm not coming back. I have no reason to." Leo said bitterly, going to a window to leave. He added almost silently, "I can't father any children for you, so what's the sense of us staying together?"

"I thought our relationship was more than that, Leonardo." Karai replied softly, her anger quickly replaced with hurt sorrow.

Was _that_ the real reason he wanted to be with her? Only to make kids? What about their love? Sure, she liked to have a child with him, but if they couldn't, she still wanted to be with him. Why was he giving up like this?

She had known him to never give up on anything. Something was really wrong here. She worried for him, despite her annoyance of him not believing the news of Don being Death.

"...I'm sorry..." Leo answered, his back to her as he bowed his head. Then with one powerful jump, he was gone. Leo ran and ran until his rage no longer would let him. He demolished three air conditioning units on a warehouse rooftop several blocks away.

Blood trickled down his skinned knuckles as he bit through his lower lip, deep in lamentation. It wasn't fair! Usagi had a _teenaged_ son. Raph had one on the way. Don used to have one, but still he did create one just the same.

Mikey probably had some that they didn't even know about yet. Leo knew how naughty Mikey was. He's even worse than Don with such things.

He wasn't upset over the possibility that Don could be a traitor since he didn't believe in that at all. He was simply devastated by this new terrible flaw within him. He believed he couldn't reproduce whatsoever and shut out everything else.

It seemed like everyone in the world had their own wonderful bundle of joy made from their own flesh and blood, _except_ Leo. Ever since he was a tween, he wanted to be a father.

Splinter was such a great and loving parent, something Leo wished to be himself someday. He wanted to give the same love Splinter had given to him to his very own. But now, after finding out it was practically impossible, he was at a loss.

Hadn't he been a good enough person? Did he do something wrong in a past life that was messing up this one? Was he cursed or what?! He didn't know.

Angrily, he yanked his katanas from their sheathes and slashed away at the broken AC units. After several minutes of crazed fury, Leo dropped his swords and sank to his knees, sobbing. He was drained, physically and emotionally.

"Father, I can't go on anymore!" Leo shouted towards the night sky as tears streamed down his face. "I tried to be a good person! I did my best to be perfect, for you! For myself!"

"But...I suppose my best just isn't good enough... That must be why I'm not allowed to be a father... That must be..." he said softly, lowering his head and falling over to his right side.

He curled up the best he could as he retracted much of his limbs into his shell, tucking his head inward. He wept bitterly for a while, when a sudden sharp stabbing pain forced him come out his shell.

It was like a burning stretching sensation that hurt so much that he felt like he would go insane from it. Alarmed and in need of help, he hurried back to Karai's skyscraper.

As he jumped down onto her personal oversized patio that led to her private quarters, an overwhelming agony punched him in the gut so hard he nearly passed out.

He let out a distressed scream of throe as he collapsed, his mind slipping away as his body began to change...

Half an hour later, Karai came back to her room and saw Leo laying out there, his shell facing her. She rushed out. Leo appeared to be hurt and seemed unconscious.

She tried to revive him, pushing on his shell when he viciously knocked her away. Shocked, she gawked at him while she got back on her feet.

"Leonardo! What is _WRONG_ with you?!" she cried, then realized exactly what was wrong with him. He gave her a foreign crazed glare, like one an enraged wild animal would give. He bared his sharp teeth at her, growling deeply in hostility.

"Oh no..." she whispered, immediately strategizing on how to get to the labs downstairs and retrieve some of the new serum her scientists had created. Alive, that is.

**To Be Continued in Chapter 41!  
**I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!)  
Current events/ In the next chapter(s):  
Will Karai survive her second deadly brush with a hyper mutated Turtle and cure Leo before he snacks on her?  
Will Don and Rose be successful in finding those crystals deep within the Earth or go missing forever?  
How will Mona Lisa keep Raph's mutation disorder under control without Don around when they return to the city for his help?**

**The Turtles are very close to running out of time for a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will Don and Rose be able to get the crystals in time?**

Will Bishop's mutant breeding farm be a success or a tragedy?  
Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more!  
Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^


	41. Don Meets Assassin & Mikey Hyper Mutates

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.41

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Karai, also Jotaro, Mona Lisa, Angel, and Rose. Bonus! Assassin, the clone of Don & Rose's son, finally makes his first appearance!**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Karai darted her eyes back and forth to hyper mutated Leo and the door to her private quarters. If she could get back into the building and to the stairs, she may have a chance at surviving here.

Leo seemed to sense that she was trying to flee. Growling deep in his throat, the monster terrapin walked towards her on all fours a few steps before he stood up and roared, a spray of bloody spittle erupting from his jagged jaws.

The might of his vocals forced Karai to slam her hands over her ears. He stopped roaring and lowered himself down back on all fours again. He began to move his mouth strangely, like he thinking about devouring her.

Reluctantly, she reached for her katana strapped to her back. Leo's bloodshot eyes widened as if he was shocked that his prey would even dare to defend herself. Only one thought ran through the Turtle's mind. **_Kill!_**

Snarling, he charged at her with frightening speed, lashing and clawing wildly for her face and chest. She barely dodged his attacks, the sleeves on her forearms shredded and her flesh was bleeding from cuts.

Leo tried again, this time snagging her left leg and bringing her down hard to the stone tile flooring. Karai let out a cry of agony as he sank his claws deeper into her leg.

Instantly, she swung her blade into his face and neck with desperate abandon to make him let go. She felt her heart skip a beat when his beak snapped her katana in half, making her weapon useless.

Leo roared at her again, blasting her eardrums hard. Then he lowered his head down to hers and started to open his jaws wide to eat her alive. Karai punched his lower jaw and throat area repetitively as she struggled to get free.

"**LEONARDO!!! STOP THIS!!! _STOP!!!_**" she screamed, quickly grasping the sides of his jaws and pushing away. She caught a glimpse of his eyes and intense doom went through her once she did.

There was nothing there, but the crazed look of an uncivilized hungry beast. Karai mentally sobbed for him. Her lover was gone and in his place was this depraved creature.

She had to save him...and herself! But she felt that would be impossible now that she was trapped under his heavy weight. Defeated tears leaked out from her pinching eyes as dark foreboding shadows of his jaws enveloped her.

'I'm sorry that I could not save you, Leonardo. Nor myself...' she cried in thought, seething in sorrow and agony.

"Get _**OFF**_ of her, you hideous reptilian **SCUM!**"

Leo halted his efforts to decapitate Karai and raised his head just in time to see Jotaro's katana smash into his face. The teen rabbit warrior had the strength to cut through the terrapin's incredibly thick flesh.

Leo recoiled in pain, screaming and holding his face as blood seeped through his massive fingers. Jotaro picked Karai up into his arms and fled. His speed was uncanny as he took her far away from Leo into the building.

Unfortunately, Leo wasn't at all slow and he was quickly catching up as he chased after them through the skyscraper. The smell of Karai's blood dripping from her wounds was easy to follow.

"I just **_KNEW_** those ugly Turtles were monsters! **_All_** reptiles are!" Jotaro said angrily while he carried Karai down the tall structure. Karai ignored the buck's opinions and instructed him where to go.

"Quickly! We must get to the labs below the ground floor! There I can get the serum Leonardo needs. It'll stop him from mutating further." Karai explained in odd composure, despite her searing pain.

"I know what really will stop that reptilian scum..." Jotaro said hatefully. "One stab through the heart will do the job nicely."

"Jotaro, need I remind you AGAIN that Leonardo possesses great honor and valor? He is suffering from a dire disorder and I must save him from it!" Karai paused to grit her teeth in silent pain when Jotaro leapt down a flight of stairs and landed hard.

"So hold your quick insolent tongue about him! I am sick of hearing your distaste for the Turtles! You have no right to speak of your elders in such a manner!" Karai scolded the young rabbit.

"Why you and my father think so highly of these horrible beasts is beyond me!" he said bitterly, shaking his head in distaste. Karai contacted her men to be ready to only tranquilize Leonardo if he approached them.

"I do **NOT** authorize **_ANY_** lethal force! Do you understand me? If you are able to tranquilize him safely, do so and report back to me at once." she told her guards on her video communicator.

"Understood, Mistress Karai." was the common reply she received. A shrieking roar exploded from Leo a short distance away as the rabbit warrior teen took the Japanese woman down the stairs with great speed.

"Why do you care so much about him anyway?" Jotaro suddenly said in an obvious jealous tone. "He's a lowly reptile, not a noble mammal like you and I! What do you possibly see in that ugly green hairless beast?"

"I do not care **_what_** he is, Jotaro, but WHO he is. He did not _ask_ to be a reptile; he can not help what he is. There is no honor in being a blind close-minded bigot." she told him.

Why did teenagers always have to have a thing for her? This was getting monotonous. It was bad enough that she fell in love with Leonardo to begin with. She never really wanted her heart to be chained to anyone, especially not a man.

But it was hard to ignore her true feelings for him. She loved him still, despite the fact that he tried to eat her alive moments ago. That wasn't the real him after all.

It was the animal roots he was created with, manifesting itself in the form of a mindless beast breaking out of Leo's civilized mind and human-like physique. He needed that cure and fast before he began to feast upon her workers.

Jotaro irritably said nothing as he continued his journey to the labs with her. So, Karai was deeply smitten by that accursed blue masked terrapin warrior. The young buck was not pleased with this.

The moment he laid eyes on Karai, Jotaro instantly liked her. A lot. She was beautiful, intelligent, and swift with the blade. He wanted to win her heart, but now that seemed like an impossible wistful dream.

If only he could get her to notice him instead of Leonardo! But how? Jotaro thought of killing Leo off with poison, but what would his father say once he came back to find out that his son had murdered his sensei?

Usagi would label him disgraceful and probably disown him forever. Perhaps a duel to the death will be more honorable. At least, Jotaro will be giving Leo a fighting chance that way.

Then, his father wouldn't be able to say his actions were dishonorable should he challenge Leo to a fair duel. Jotaro decided to really help get Leo back to normal so he could do so.

After much dodging and near-misses from Leo's onslaught, Jotaro and Karai made it to the labs. Leo crashed through the doors and part of the wall was removed as he did. The alpha-male terrapin didn't reserve any of his strength in his attacks.

"There, Jotaro! In that cabinet are tranquilizer darts!" Karai told him and the young rabbit set her down so he could get them. Leo instantly tried to attack them both, but Jotaro diverted his attention away from the female ninja.

"Come to me, you foul ugly beast!" Jotaro waved his long katana and a short blade at Leo. The Turtle grunted and snarled in aversion. Like an angry T-Rex, he charged at the bunny with his mouth gaping open and claws out.

Swift as lightning, the buck leapt out of Leo's attacking range and up onto the back of his neck. He plunged eight darts, four in each furry white paw, deep into Leo's flesh.

It wasn't enough to knock him out so Jotaro swiftly repeated the process with fresh darts until the job was done. Leo finally collapsed noisily to the floor, taking out a table and three chairs. Karai felt like she was experiencing deja vu.

Months before Don had chased her down to the labs like this in hyper mutated form. Now so did Leo. She did not like to think this sort of thing could be repeated with Raphael and Michelangelo. Twice was bad enough!

Panting hard, Jotaro bowed at Karai respectively. "I have subdued him, my Mistress." he said graciously, giving her loving looks with a happy smile. Karai made a face as she looked away in disgust. Silly fawning teenagers, ugh!

Hours later, Karai checked up on Leo's reversal process and felt relieved when she saw positive results. Other than the unappealing bloody stitching job in the middle of his face, Leo looked somewhat like his civilized self.

She stroked his cheek gently as she listened to his now peaceful breathing. At least Leo was getting back to normal quickly without complications. Thoughts of Donatello made her pleased expression disappear.

"Rest well, Leonardo. Soon, I will need your help to capture your brother, Donatello. I can not allow that traitor to run free." she said, a slight edge to her voice.

All this time, Donatello had been playing her for a fool! And here, she had been so desperately trying to win his trust over to her when he was one of Kano's best men. He would pay dearly for this insult and betrayal...with his life!

* * *

Don decided to look for crystals in their old Lair, which had been an outpost for the Atlantians years ago. Perhaps there were some crystals there instead.

If they were, then Don wouldn't need to drive the Tunneler all the way to the crystal cavern in the underground catacombs and put Rose in unnecessary danger.

She realized that the trip had been much too short when her lover suddenly stopped the digging vehicle. They couldn't be at the caverns already. What was going on?

"Don, why did you stop?" she asked, getting up from her seat in the Tunneler. Don opened the hatch doors and stepped down its metal steps. He waited for her to be by his side before he continued on.

"I want to check my old home first. It's the one Karai destroyed when she was hunting for Leo. It had crystals hidden in the walls." Don explained, helping her maneuver through the rubble.

"Although we used them all to help those mutated slaves of Shredder's, I'm hoping there might be some more or pieces left behind that grew into larger ones. _**Errugh!**_" Don paused as he pushed a large long slab of stone out of their way.

"Then we don't have to go down to the caverns afterall. I don't want to put you into danger needlessly." Don shone his flashlight over the debris, hoping to see a sparkle or shine.

Rose went to work by helping him look for anything crystal-like. She caught a shine and hurried over to it. "Don, I think I found something!" she cried, excitedly. He rushed over, but was soon disappointed.

"No. You found my old computer equipment." Don said after a moment of inspecting the broken glass from his old monitor. "Hm, I wonder if I can salvage the harddrive still... Worth a shot."

He handed her his flashlight as he grasped the edge of a slab of rock, one of many which was piled upon his equipment. Rose felt proud and happy inside seeing her lover push the heavy pieces of granite away with minimal effort.

"This is doing wonders for my back." Don joked sarcastically, taking a deep breath before he lifted another rock slab and threw it several feet away. Finally, the prize was revealed.

He pried open the computer's battered metal chassis with his bare hands and discovered the harddrive was still intact. "Great! I'm going to put this in the Tunneler real quick. I'll be right back."

Rose watched him leap and scale his way back to the digging vehicle and continued to look for crystals. It was hard to tell if there were any there due to the massive broken rocks everywhere.

'Mistress Karai ordered THIS massive destruction?' Rose thought, becoming unnerved. She hoped she could convince Don to trust Karai someday, but Rose doubted its possibility.

Her boss had really gone all out on the Turtles here. She knew _she_ would have a hard time forgiving Karai if this had been done to her home and belongings.

Don came back moments later and together they searched the place top to bottom for hours. After the fourth hour, they decided to take a break and eat some of the food they had brought with them.

Then they returned to the crystal hunt for another four hours. Don wished he had a scanner to detect these crystals, but he never thought to make one before. That is, if it was possible to make one in the first place.

Thinking of how they may need weeks to search the catacombs sent much worry through Don. He certainly would hyper mutate in that time frame without serum if they couldn't locate any crystals soon enough.

Even if he had his brothers and Karai's workers to help, it would still take a week or so to search the vast crystal chamber. It was a huge place with hidden rooms everywhere. There was no guarantee they would find any crystals out in the open.

They would need to check all the secret places too. With that red beast lurking about, it wouldn't be easy nor safe. But it had to be done, otherwise Don and his brothers would become mindless flesh-hungry beasts and then no one would be safe.

Don noticed how tired Rose was getting and offered to take her home. "Want to go back?" he asked softly, letting her lean against him. She shook her head.

"No, I can't let you search alone. I won't go home. Not without you." Rose replied, knowing if she let him take her home, he would return here to keep looking and maybe get hurt. She couldn't chance that.

Rose gave Don a fond look, making him smile. The two shared a sweet gentle kiss, then Don thought he sensed something or someone. She noticed the sudden change in his expression and stance. She became alarmed.

"What is it, Don?" she whispered. He shook his head, tapping his beak with a lone finger to signal her not to talk. He scooped her up into his arms and jumped through the ruins as he headed for the Tunneler.

They were a few feet away from the vehicle when Don let out a yell of surprise. Something knocked him several feet into a wall, forcing him to drop Rose. She fell to her side, crying out in pain. Their flashlights hit the jagged stones littering floor and went out.

Suddenly, powerful muscular arms wrapped around Rose and held her prisoner. Knowing this was not her lover's embrace, she began to call out for Don frantically.

"Don?! _Where_ are you?! Donatello!!" Rose cried, struggling to free herself. Her captor only tightened his grip and she felt a sharp pinch to the side of her neck, like she was being injected with something.

In a few seconds, she blacked out. Don recovered from the attack and raced over to where he heard Rose calling for him last. His night vision showed him a horrible sight.

Some kind of man-sized thing with horns was holding Rose in his arms. She was limp and appeared lifeless. She must have been hurt from the fall! Angered, Don yanked his bo staff from his back and approached cautiously.

"Let her go..." Don growled dangerously. He had no idea who this was, but he was going to pay, big time!

"Take another step and I'll snap her neck." the creature threatened, his voice shocking Don immensely. Why, this guy almost sounded like Don did as a teenager! What the-?!

"_Who_ are you?" Don had to ask, quickly planning a way to save Rose and take down this, whatever he was.

"I am Assassin. The son that you've _abandoned_!" the young mutant human hybrid snarled.

"..._**What?!**_" Don hissed, narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth.

"You heard me! Bishop told me how you both wanted me aborted! He saved me and revealed the truth!" Assassin shot back angrily.

"_**Bishop?!**_" Don cried, intense rage building up inside of him. "He's a **_LIAR!_** I **_NEVER_** wanted you aborted! I did **_everything_** that I could to _**SAVE**_ you!!!"

Don struggled not to let his emotions get the better of him and make him into a raving lunatic. But it was so hard, he felt like he was going to explode from this injustice that Bishop had told his son. The son he thought he had lost months ago!

"I gave your mother an emergency operation- a hysterectomy to save you both! I **_always_** wanted you! I thought you had been killed all those months ago! I had _**no**_ idea you were alive! I would have looked for you if I had known!" Don continued, breathing hard from the emotional stress.

"Where were you when you thought I was being killed?" Assassin asked coldly. "Oh yes, that's right. My REAL father Bishop already told me. You were so drunk that you passed out and never gave a d-mn in the first place!"

Bishop had told Assassin that Don was nothing more than a dirty playboy, shameful and arrogant. He had no desires to be a good father, but Bishop was.

And Assassin believed him, especially after seeing video proof of Don dancing at the hu-animal club. Bishop kept close tabs on all his specimens and what they did.

Bishop had connections within Cleo's world, so he had all the 'proof' he needed to convince Assassin of Don's flamboyant naughty ways.

Seeing secret videos of Don messing around with Cleo and the ladies in the pub only increased Assassin's antipathy of his biological father.

"That's **_NOT_** true!" Don shouted hoarsely, angry hurt tears blurring his vision. "Bishop forced me into hyper mutation and I was being hunted by his men in the woods!"

"Alright, '_Father_'... If you're such a clean innocent victim, then explain to me why you dance in an erotic night club as a male stripper?" Assassin's tone was filled with disgust and hatred.

Don instantly felt ashamed, but he had something to say for that regardless. "I **_used_** to dance in that night club to raise money for the parts of an invention I want to make to stop world hunger..."

Assassin didn't seem to buy anything remotely positive in Don's favor and blew up a split-second after he finished speaking.

"**STOP** trying to justify yourself with more d-mned _**lies**_! I've seen enough proof to know the REAL you! _Bishop's_ the only one who cares about me! _**Not you! Not her**!_" the hybrid roared, shaking Rose like a doll.

"_Neither_ of you are going to get away with being irresponsible! You _both_ wanted me gone, but Bishop brought me back! **He's** the one who saved me, _**NOT**_ you!"

"Once you hyper mutate and I retrieve the samples my father wants, I'll kill you AND make HER watch you bleed to death as impale you with my horns!" the hybrid shrieked.

Assassin screamed some more detailed death threats like a demonic loon, causing Don to realize that this kid wasn't all there in the head. He was absolutely insane!

"I _**HATE**_ you _both_ and I can't **_WAIT_** to _make_ you **suffer!** But my father Bishop's plans do come first..." The hybrid teen threw something small at Don's feet and it exploded in a split-second, releasing a powerful gas into the air.

Don jumped away, but still inhaled some of that gas unfortunately. Assassin was prepared and flung out a whip, catching the Turtle's right leg as he tried to flee.

Falling hard, Don reached down to untangle his leg from the whip when his strength started to slip away. Assassin tossed out another gas pellet and it was enough to make Don lie still.

The hybrid was immune to the gas, thanks to Bishop's antidotes. He dragged his prey behind him as he traveled back to the surface where Bishop's men were waiting to load them into a van.

Assassin watched the workers throw Don and Rose into the back of the vehicle and slam the doors shut. The van drove away quickly and the hybrid called Bishop to tell him the _first_ 'package' was on its way...

* * *

"Jeez, I wonder where everyone's at!" Mikey cried after he took out the third long movie for the night. He was letting Angel crash in the Lair until he could work a deal out with Karai to buy Angel her own place.

"Dunno, but I'm digging this movie marathon with ya, Mike." Angel mumbled, stuffing her face with chips. "How's your stomach?"

Mikey rubbed his gut, still not feeling too good. "Not so great." he replied, passing on eating more popcorn and chips. He feared that he would only vomit it out later. He couldn't keep much down that night.

Watching movies seemed to be the only thing he could do in between barf sessions. At least, Angel was understanding and supportive.

"Do you want to go to that doctor lady? You know, Goodfellow?" she asked, worried for him. Mikey shook his head. "Nah, that's alright..." he paused, taking in a several heavy breaths before he got up from his chair.

"I think I better try some of Donnie's serum stuff." he said, thinking maybe that would calm his stomach. He was supposed to take that serum before, but he only pretended to. He really hated the taste of it and so he hardly ever took it.

Whenever Leo or Don checked up on him to see if he took it, he would only really take it then. He did everything he could to get out of drinking that disgusting serum stuff.

Mikey clutched his middle when a sharp stretching feeling hit him. "**_Urrgh!_**" he groaned, falling to his knees as he doubled over in pain. Angel rushed over to help him.

"Mike, you sure you don't wanna call the vet lady?" she asked, holding onto his right arm. His breathing became laborious and ragged. His stomach pains were getting worse suddenly. Much worse and fast.

"Angel, I need my brothers... I really need them... I-" he tried to say. Angel squeezed her eyes shut and cringed when Mikey vomited violently right there on the floor. She patted his shell, trying to comfort him.

"_Uhhh, man..!_ I can't _stand_ this pain!" Mikey cried, tightening his arms around himself as he trembled in agony. Angel herded him to the couch and covered him with a blanket. She hastily wiped his beak with it and asked him where the serum was.

"It's in my room... Ohhh! Ugghhh! On the top shelf in the closet, in a white box... _**Ahh-urrgh! **_Hurry! Oh, sh-t, this pain's _killing_ me!" Mikey groaned, grasping the blanket as he writhed.

"Don't worry, don't worry! I'll get it! Just you stay right there, I'll be right back!" Angel ran upstairs to Mikey's room and searched the closet up and down. She couldn't find any box of any color.

She was about to go back downstairs to ask him if he moved it when she heard a series of crashes and thuds. Like televisions being smashed. She raced to the top of the stairs where she could see the living room.

The TVs _were_ smashed! The couch was empty and the blanket torn to shreds. She swallowed hard and cautiously came down the steps slowly.

"Mike? Mike, you ok? Why are the TVs trashed? Did you do that?" She waited for an answer and got none. 'Ok, this is creepy...' she thought.

"Yo, Michelangelo! Where the f-ck are you?!" she yelled, getting upset and scared. Suddenly, a huge monster appeared at the side of the steps, roaring in her face. Angel screamed at the top of her lungs and tumbled down the stairs.

The first instinct she had was to run away, but after that fall, her ankle was twisted. The creature crawled towards her on all fours, drooling and growling.

Something caught her eye behind the monster. It was Mikey's orange mask ripped in half along with his torn elbow and knee pads. She realized quickly that this beast was Michelangelo!

"Mike?!" she cried in disbelief. She looked directly into his blue eyes, which were bloodshot and glazed over with agony and rage.

"Mike! It's me, Angel! You know me! You don't wanna eat me! Seriously, you don't!" she cried desperately. He paused and appeared to 'understand' as he bent down to sniff her.

"See, it's me. You and I are pals, remember? We're lovers, see! You don't wan-" Angel's words were cut short when he whacked her across the room with one swipe of his claws.

She crashed into a pile of DVDs and junk, the debris covering her. She was in terrible shock after he did that. Blood poured from long cuts his talons inflicted upon her from that hit.

Angel bit her lip as she winced from the pain. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him coming over to finish the job. She cringed as he roared again, almost causing her to go deaf from it.

He was about to slam his claws down when the phone rang. The ringing seemed to drive him nuts as he attacked the phone instead. He yanked it from the wall, cord and all. He flung it to the stairs where it exploded into pieces against the steps.

Then he noticed Angel hobbling away to escape. She froze like a deer in headlights once his maddened gaze fell on her. She was close to the kitchen counter and saw a wooden block full of Mikey's favorite butcher knives...

She yanked out the largest one and was tackled to the floor hard by the enraged-by-pain terrapin. She tried to plunge the blade into his shoulder, but she wasn't strong enough to break through his tough reptilian thick flesh.

He growled hatefully, opening his mouth and exposing rows of sharp teeth. Angel sucked in air shakily as she realized this was it. This was the end!

She dropped the knife and closed her eyes, waiting for his teeth to sink into her. She opened them in surprise when Mikey was suddenly wrestled off of her by someone.

"Huh?!" she squeaked, beyond confused and shocked. Raphael was doing his best to restrain Mikey while Mona Lisa checked on Angel.

"Are you ok?" she asked. Angel trembled with fear and shock, unable to reply right away.

"Lisa! Get that f-cking serum powder over here, NOW! I can't hold 'im forever!" Raph swore as he wrestled with Mikey.

Raph held his little brother's arms behind his shell while he sat on him at the same time. Mona rushed over and sprayed Mikey's face with that powder version of her pre-cure serum.

Mikey coughed and choked for a while, then he passed out. Mona stopped spraying him with the stuff and went back to the entrance of the Lair to get her bag which she had set down earlier.

"What the h-ll happened?!" Angel cried as Mona helped her to the couch so she could tend to her wounds. "He hyper mutated. Thank goodness my powder serum can reverse it. Well, temporarily."

"You mean, he's gonna change again?!" Angel didn't like what she was hearing. Mona nodded at her solemnly. Raph was worn out from that short, but intense scuffle. He rested in a chair nearby.

"I bet Mikey wasn't taking his serum, that's why he changed. Kano got me, that d-mned whackbag!" He slammed his fist into his open hand. "When I get my hands on him, he's gonna wish he was never born!"

"Hey, Angel. You're a Purple Dragon, maybe you know where Kano's hiding out, eh?" Raph asked her. She shook her head, wincing as Mona Lisa applied ointments into her wounds.

"Uh-uh. I ain't one no more. Plus, when I was one, I ranked way too low to even ask anything about Kano. Sorry. I'd tell you if I knew anything, but I don't."

"Donnie's one still. I bet he knows something by now." Raph muttered. Angel widened her eyes. "Y-You know that Don's a Purple Dragon?" she asked, worried.

"It's ok, kid. Donnie's going undercover... Right?" He had to be sure and smiled when he heard her reply.

"Yeah, but he doesn't want anyone to find out. He wants you guys to look like you don't like him, so Kano thinks Don's on his side. Ya know what I mean?" Angel expressed some more discomfort while Mona went on the next cut.

"I knew good ol' Donnie-boy wasn't a traitor." Raph said, reassured. "I just hope Karai doesn't find out about this. She won't believe Don's still on our side. She's thickheaded and stupid like that."

Just then, Raph's cel phone rang and vibrated. He looked at the caller ID. "Speak of the devil. It's Karai." he said before answering it.

"Where is your brother Donatello hiding?!" Karai demanded rudely right after Raph picked up.

"Hey, wait a second, Karai! Donnie ain't hiding no where and he's NOT a traitor either." he replied then was bombarded by Karai's angry voice as she shouted back at him.

"So, you **_KNEW_** he was working for Kano all this time and **_never_** told me?! How _dare_ you betray me! I've been truly trying to make _amends_ with you Turtles, but instead you _hide_ important information from me!" she yelled, cursing and throwing species slurs.

"Look, Lady! Donnie would _never_ betray our brotherhood, got that? I _don't_ care what _you_ think or believe, but Donatello is my brother and I **won't** have you talking trash about him!" Raph roared back, waving his free fist in the air. Mona and Angel watched him as he continued to talk to Karai.

"Go take on Kano without my help! See if I give a d-mn!" He paused as she threatened to freeze the bank account she had for him.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I don't give a sh-t! Why don't you just stick your precious money up your-"

Raph paused when he heard Karai's end go dead. He grit his teeth and flung his phone to the floor, growling. Mona Lisa and Angel looked at him.

"What happened?" Mona asked, worried.

"That d-mned Karai! She f-cking hung up on me when I was STILL talking! _Jeez_! What an **_as-hole_!**" he snarled, ticked off by Karai's incivility.

"When this crap's all over with, I'm _seriously_ going to kick that lady's tin butt to Pluto! D-mn, I _hate_ that woman!" Raph growled, a stretching sensation tugging inside of him then.

"**_Uggh!_** Oh, shell! Not _again_!" he cried, holding his sides tightly. Mona rushed over and held the pre-cure container to his face as he inhaled the powder.

"You've got to stay calm, Raphael. Otherwise you'll transform again." she warned him and for her sake, he quelled his rage and took slow breaths. He struggled to make himself meditate even, which wasn't one of his strong points.

"I'm trying, darling. I'm trying." he replied. Angel watched a few feet away, feeling nervous. Would Raph hyper mutate right here and now too? She didn't know if she could take another near-and-miss butchering.

"Maybe when Don comes back, he'll have a cure for you guys." Angel said hopefully, trying to be positive. Mona Lisa nodded, hoping for just that.

"That's why we're here, to see what he has so far for a new serum. We really need a permanent cure." the green lizard lady replied. Raph scoffed. "You sure can say that again! Donnie better get home soon or else!" he grumbled disgustedly.

* * *

Don groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and found himself strapped down to a metal table in a lab. What the-? Suddenly, his memories returned to him in a rush and his personal safety was forgotten. Rose! Where was she?!

"It's about time." said a familiar voice. Don turned his head towards a doorway and saw Bishop. Angrily, the Turtle fought against his restraints so he could break free and get his hands on the demented federal government worker.

"Bishop! How DARE you slander me like that to my son?! Where have you been hiding him all this time?! You'll pay severely for what you've done!" Don shouted, squirming roughly against the leather belts and chains that held him to the table.

"Assassin is the clone of the fetus I saved from an early demise. Your lover Rose Chaplin ordered her brother to kill the fetus, remember? And I was not speaking lies to Assassin as I did save him. You should be thanking me actually for doing a good deed." Bishop said nonchalantly.

The nutty government worker/scientist was content and very satisfied as he had extracted what he wanted from Don. His DNA had a wealth of information that put Bishop's work instantly ahead many years.

The hyper mutated DNA had a high probability of being recreated in cloned creatures. They could hyper mutate at will, but still be civil-minded while in that form. Bishop couldn't wait to begin his testing on this new project he called 'HyperForm' or 'HF' for short.

Just in case the 'HyperForm' project failed, Bishop was going to continue his mutant breeding farm project without delay. Upon a thorough examination of Rose, Bishop was disappointed to find his previous efforts to make Rose's body regrow a new womb had failed.

While she had worked for him back in Area 51, Bishop was aware of the hysterectomy Donatello gave her. Only these two were successful in creating spawn despite the species barrier.

Naturally, Bishop instantly realized the scientific importance of this and was going to use this rare abnormality to make himself a famous scientist. No other would be able to recreate this and that alone would make Bishop beyond rich forever.

To make sure this farm had a high success rate, Bishop altered Donatello and Rose while they were unconscious. Besides removing what he needed from Donatello, he added as well.

Now, the purple clad terrapin should be able to reproduce with human females without the similar complications he faced before. Granted, his new children would look more human thanks to Bishop's tinkering with Don's DNA, but they wouldn't be any less lethal.

With Rose, Bishop was forced to make her body regrow a new womb almost instantly within the week he kept the two comatose. There was a high risk of her developing cancer from this method, but Bishop wasn't going to wait.

Rose was expendable afterall. Donatello should be able to create spawn with different women and Bishop already had plenty of money-hungry guinea pigs waiting in line to be used for this top secret project.

Of course, Bishop didn't divulge any of this info to poor Don. Ignoring the Turtle's angry threats, he had his workers release Don into an indoor jungle area and left him there.

"Be a good animal and mark your territory until I return with your breeding mate." Bishop said behind a glass window near the metal door he and his men had exited.

Don punched the glass and a web of cracks were created from his blow. Bishop grinned evilly. 'He'll hyper mutate soon and when he does, I can use Rose to test his dwindling civilized mind. It'll be the key to my HF project.'

"D-mn you, Bishop! I'm NOT an animal! I'm human!" Don shouted angrily, punching the glass again.

The window was about to break and Bishop simply pressed a button next to the window. A metal door fell over the glass and Don hurt his knuckles badly against the thick steel when he punched again.

"We're all animals, Donatello." Bishop said matter-of-factly. Don growled and narrowed his eyes. Although he knew he started out as a turtle, Don believed himself human once he had been mutated.

But being a real animal once gave Don sight that no full human could know. So what Bishop said disgusted him. No human could ever be an animal. If that was so, then why did Don have so much trouble mingling with them if they were all the same?

"Try and get comfortable in there as this'll be your new home. You'll create spawn for me until you expire." Bishop said as if he was talking about the weather and how nice it was.

"**I REFUSE to do ANYTHING for you!!!**" Don roared, attacking the two metal doors back and forth. The metal door over the window was weaker, so he would work on breaking that one down first.

"Then I'll have no choice, but to force you. Remain difficult and I'll order Assassin to torture Rose before your eyes. Is that what you want?" Bishop threatened coldly.

"...No..." Don muttered, feeling defeated. He couldn't let anything happen to Rose. "I...I'll do what you want..." the mutant terrapin 'agreed' reluctantly.

Bishop smiled at the Turtle's reply and gave the order to have Rose dumped into the jungle room with Don immediately.

"Good boy." Bishop told him in a demeaning tone, making Don grit his teeth and tighten his fists. "Rose will soon be in the artificial environment with you. Be sure to find her before the others do."

"Others?" Don was confused, but could sense that this meant trouble. He was right.

"I have included wild animals in the artificial environment you are in. They will be a source of meat for you and your current mate. They also can be a source of danger as well. It's up to you how you handle them." Bishop pushed his glasses up his nose before going on.

"I'll be monitoring you and Rose daily and once she has conceived, you will be given a new mate to fertilize. You will continue to inseminate the females I give you or else I'll tell Assassin to kill Rose. Do you understand?"

"...Yes..." Don understood. He understood that he had to escape this madhouse with Rose before Bishop could have his way with him. He just hoped he could do so before he hyper mutated.

It was doubtful that Bishop would give Don any serum to keep him from hyper mutating. It's what Bishop wanted him to do since he heard him talking about it while they transported him into this ridiculous artificial environment.

He expected him to duke it out with Assassin to the death and record the results. Don didn't want to fight Assassin whatsoever. He wanted to get through to him that he had never abandoned him.

Yes, he was a clone and not actually his real son, but he was made from his son's DNA. Don saw him as his real son regardless. He just had to undo Bishop's evil brainwashing and save him somehow!

"There are several sources of running water in my artificial environment, Donatello. I know you'll be a smart beast and find at least one, won't you?" Bishop watched Don seething at the other end from a hidden viewing window and went on.

"And don't even think about escaping. There is a tracking device implanted within you and I'll always know your location. Even if you manage to find and remove it, you'll die from the blood loss before you succeed in escaping." Bishop finally left then, leaving Don feeling a wide range of distressed emotions.

The Turtle wanted to break down that accursed metal door and strangle the life out of Bishop. How dare he do this to him?! And Rose! What an unbelievably _heartless_ **MONSTER**!!!

A strong stretching tugging began within his gut and Don grasped his sides in alarm. He couldn't afford to lose it and hyper mutate here.

'Alright, alright...' Don thought to himself, struggling to calm himself. 'I've got to find Rose and then plan our escape. But Bishop has me tagged... I've got to find a way to locate and remove the device safely. Rose can help me. I must find her.'

Taking a deep slow breath, Don headed towards the thick underbrush and trees behind him. Sniffing constantly, he tried to find Rose by her scent, which he had memorized. He prayed to Splinter to keep Rose safe as he looked for her.

"I'm coming, Rose." Don said as he whacked down the vines and branches that were in his path with his bo staff. At least Bishop left him his weapon. "I'm coming."

**To Be Continued in Chapter 42! **I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!) Current events/ In the next chapter(s): Will Don escape Bishop's insane breeding farm alive with Rose?**

**The Turtles are out of time to find a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will Don get those crystals in time (IF he escapes Bishop's farm)? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more! Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	42. Bishop's Breeding Farm & Hun is Captured

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.42

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Rose, Leo, Karai, and Bishop.**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Bishop watched Donatello head into the thick foliage of his artificial environment from a secret surveillance room. He took notes on how the mutant terrapin made his way through the prickly underbrush as if Don was merely an animal on a hunt.

He grinned evilly when Don tumbled down a hidden steep cliff and had trouble standing back up right away. Eventually the animal picked himself out of the thorny bushes he fell into and went on, hobbling.

Bishop scribbled faster as he wrote what he saw Don doing then on. The Turtle tracked down his female human companion in record time like the evil government worker speculated.

Rose had been chased up onto some high rocks by wild boars and the beasts raged below her at the forest floor. Don made quick work of them despite his painful injuries, all which Bishop deemed minor.

He could still mate even with such cuts and bruises, so Bishop didn't send in any medical aid. A sprained ankle should heal fine on its own anyway. The government agent wasn't concerned on any of that.

What he was concerned about was that his breeding farm could be a failure. After spending so much for this artificial environment, it'd be quite a significant financial loss should the farm fall short.

Just then a worker entered his surveillance room, interrupting Bishop's concerned thoughts. He looked to the worker and waited for him to explain his business.

"Sir, one of your contacts is currently seeking your presence in the waiting room at level one. He's interested in your SSBF Project." the worker said.

Bishop frowned. He didn't want to be away from this room just to _talk_ to one of his contacts about his 'Super Soldier Breeding Farm Project'.

Bishop's observation of how Donatello mated with Rose was very important to him. He couldn't leave until he saw it at least once for himself. No matter. He would get his contact to come here so he would not miss anything crucial.

"Very well. But bring him here. I prefer not to leave this room." Bishop ordered.

"Yes, sir." The worker nodded and left swiftly.

The federal government agent grinned, feeling pleased as his worker hurried off to fetch his contact from the waiting room. Now that Donatello had found Rose, he should mate with her at any moment.

Bishop had injected that mutant terrapin with enough hormones that would raise his testosterone levels to the max. It should force him to mate with Rose immediately in order to calm his growing aggression and get relief.

The agent had to see how a mutant terrapin mated with a human so he could explain it to his colleagues when they were interested in purchasing their own true super solider humanoid beasts.

They certainly would not believe an _animal_, normal or otherwise, could successfully reproduce outside its species, so Bishop had to be ready with all the proof he could get.

Observing and documenting were the best ways to gain that indisputable proof so he could show others without delay. Plus, be ready to silence the foolish skeptics while standing tall and proud against them at the same time.

Soon, his contact, Mr. Beam arrived. Bishop 'greeted' him and waved him over to the monitoring screens. Mr. Beam was fascinated instantly by the sight of Donatello. He never saw such a creature before.

"Is that one of your successful projects, Bishop?" he asked, amazed.

"Actually, no. He's an accident. Do you remember a company called TCRI?" Bishop asked. Beam shrugged his shoulders. "Let me tell you something about them."

Bishop began to explain about how the TCRI building had been a secret base for an alien race called the Utroms and how their experiments with the Transmat created the mutagen that mutated the Turtles into humanoid beings.

"Ah, I understand. Where's TCRI now?" Beam asked, who was a fairly young business man and didn't know what happened to that 'company'.

"They are no longer in business. But I am. And I'm assuming that's why you're here. To do business, correct?" Bishop kept glancing back to the screens to see if anything was going on between Rose and Donatello.

So far nothing important or worthwhile. Donatello was consoling a very shaken Rose who was sobbing uncontrollably. Beam was blown away by how human this animal was behaving.

"That beast is fascinating..." he breathed, watching intently. "Absolutely fascinating!" Beam made up his mind then. "I want to purchase that animal. I MUST have him for my zoo."

Bishop wasn't too pleased to hear that request and frowned. "He's not for sale." he replied coldly, looking at the young man straight in the eye. That rejection caused Beam to verbally shoot out large payout amounts to him.

"I'll give you a million for that turtle." Beam offered. Bishop turned away and stared at the screens irritably. "No."

"How about two million?" Beam tried again. Bishop's silence made the man go higher and higher up to a hundred million dollars. When Bishop still refused, Beam understood how incredibly valuable this animal really was and asked something else.

"Will you at least loan him to me for a week? I'll pay whatever you want! I just have to have this animal in my zoo!" Beam cried, desperate.

"Absolutely not." Bishop scowled.

If Donatello was moved to a zoo with open spaces, he'd easily escape and disappear for good. Those Turtles were masters at hiding. There was no guarantee Assassin could bring the others either.

Besides, the others didn't reproduce successfully as Donatello had. He couldn't risk anything. Suddenly, Bishop felt a sinking feeling of angry doom in the pit of his stomach as he looked back to the monitors.

Donatello had taken Rose into some high foliage and seemed to be mating with her out of sight. The shaking of the foliage hinted to what they might be doing, but he couldn't really see and it disgusted him.

Beam was flabbergasted and alarmed, quickly guessing to what might be happening then. "That creature just took that woman into the bushes and they're- they're-!" he stammered, shocked. "Someone has to save that woman!"

"Calm yourself, Beam." Bishop sneered, feeling extremely annoyed. "That woman is Donatello's mate."

"Donatello?" Beam repeated, confused. "What...?"

"That bipedal terrapin beast you just was watching is named Donatello. He is not for sale in any way, shape, or form. NOR is he available on loan. But if you wanted to buy his offspring, we can arrange that." Bishop said, confusing Beam more.

"Offspring? That animal can make babies with humans?!" Beam asked, blown away.

"Yes, he can." Bishop replied simply.

"I can't believe that." Beam folded his arms and frowned. "How can an animal reproduce with a human? That's scientifically impossible!"

Bishop pressed a button on the console to summon Assassin to come to that room immediately. He had to make dear Mr. Beam a believer. The nutty government agent half-heartedly debated with Beam on the matter until his living proof arrived.

"Just wait until you see Assassin. He is Donatello's offspring." Bishop told Beam, not mentioning how Assassin was really a clone and a mentally unstable one at that.

Within minutes, Assassin appeared. "Yes, Father?" he asked, bowing down on one knee. Bishop grinned and held a hand out to his cloned critter.

"This is Assassin. He's all the proof you need." Bishop said proudly.

"My word..." Beam breathed in awe and fright, now easily persuaded to believe in what Bishop was saying after seeing real living proof. Assassin stood up and swished his long thick tail, awaiting further orders from Bishop.

"You may go back to your post." Bishop finally said and Assassin left, his heavy weight was heard with each step he took. Beam quickly whipped out his checkbook.

"Here!" He handed a signed blank check to Bishop. "I'll take _**THAT**_ beast instead!"

"I must decline. I've grown...attached to that one." the agent said, giving the check back. "Only the new offspring are for sale." Beam looked anxious and upset since he really needed a new attraction for his zoo which wasn't doing so well lately.

"Well...when will they be available to purchase?" Beam asked, dead set on getting a very special humanoid animal for his zoo soon. Bishop explained that he was using Donatello as a stud to create more stock for his soldier division and they only started today.

"I can speed up the process to six months. In that time, you can have a fully grown humanoid terrapin to show off in that zoo of yours." Bishop said, pushing his dark framed glasses up his long skinny nose.

Beam wasn't happy to be forced to wait like this, but he had no choice. Someday was better than never. He could advertise of his new coming attraction in the meantime.

The two shook hands, sealing the deal and Beam left, who appeared somewhat satisfied. Bishop dropped his fake smile as soon as Beam was gone and gave his full attention to the monitors.

The countless hidden cameras within the artificial indoor jungle were capturing Donatello's every move. Bishop's frown deepened as he saw the terrapin beast attacking the rocky outer area around a small manmade waterfall.

It had space between the rock ceiling and running water that led out to a reservoir tank which was in a control room where they could escape if Donatello made the opening, where the water was coming out, big enough.

"Your efforts are in vain, Donatello." Bishop said to himself and pressed a button to close down that reservoir. A metal door slammed over the small opening, nearly tearing off the purple clad Turtle's fingers. It caused him to fall off the entire rocky structure backwards in shocked surprise and pain.

Bishop took more notes as Donatello fell onto his shell with much of his limbs and head tucked in. Rose helped him up off the sandy bank and the Turtle inspected his now bleeding fingers.

Rose fussed over his new injuries, apparently too much which made an already agitated Donatello lash out at her. He pushed her away in the heat of his raising sexual aggression. It never seemed to decrease, only increase.

The Turtle was confused since he just mated with Rose, yet the relief didn't last long whatsoever. Bishop longed to know what Donatello was saying as he gestured with his hands at a now frightened Rose.

He seemed to be ranting and raving about what could be wrong with him. Bishop began to wish he invested in an audio system to go along with his surveillance cameras...

* * *

Agonizing pain throbbed between Leo's eyes as he tried to open them. Instinctively, he reached up to touch his face and jerked his hand back when he felt something foreign.

With eyes wide open now, Leo cautiously reached up to feel once more and began to realize that he had stitches going across the middle of his face. What the shell had happened?

As if on cue, Karai appeared looking pleased. For once, she didn't hide her smiles as she came closer to him and stroked his cheek lovingly.

Despite being full of questions, Leo savored this rare display of true emotions and held her hand to his cheek. He temporarily left the world behind as he relished this loving moment completely. He wished he could remember what had happened after he felt horribly sick and passed out earlier.

"It is good you are well now, Leonardo." Karai finally spoke, withdrawing her gentle caressing hand. Leo got off the bed-like platform he had been resting on and noticed the heavy-duty restraining leather straps on it.

Why were those there? Then the harsh reality hit him. Did he actually hyper mutate? Worried and confused, Leo decided to ask point blank if that were so.

"Karai... What happened to me? Why is my face cut like this? Did...I... I...?" Leo couldn't say it. It was too painful. Did he really transformed into a horrible monster like Don had and...tried to slaughter innocent people?

Leo knew what the answer was as Karai suddenly avoided his gaze. She didn't want to remember how Leo was as a demonic mindless beast. A demonic mindless beast that tried to devour her alive.

Images of Leo snarling and roaring like rabid animal flashed through her mind. She brought a hand to her face as she forced back her emotions of sorrow.

A fine civilized warrior such as Leonardo trapped within the body of savage beast was something that sent terrible sadness through her. She knew Leo very well, beyond as an ally in war, but as a lover. He didn't deserve to change into a mindless beast.

The same could be said for Donatello, yet Karai did NOT care at all for him nor his problems. More so ever now. That accursed traitor! But his older brother Leonardo was a different matter.

She knew this day would come, but she had been confident that the cure, the REAL cure, would have been found before this terrible time of doom.

Even though Leo was normal now, how long would he stay that way? There seemed to be no permanent cure, none her scientists could find anyway. It was almost certain that Leo would transform again.

Then what? Karai felt horrible, knowing that eventually she may be forced to put Leo down for good should he never be cured of this illness. It was for his own good and for the safety of others.

It was the same for his brothers as well. Karai didn't like to think of a possibility where she would lose the Turtles since they were strong and efficient slayers. One could not ask for better allies.

Several tense moments of silence passed before she finally replied. "Yes, Leonardo. You hyper mutated and Jotaro was forced to subdue you. My scientists returned you to normal with the current serum, but it is obvious that it can not cure you permanently." she said sadly.

"...Did I try to hurt you...?" Leo asked after a long pause. Karai turned away to leave the room, tossing her hair out of her face. She didn't want to answer that question nor acknowledge how terrified and helpless she had been at the claws of her beloved friend.

"Do not trouble yourself over such things, Leonardo. We have more distressing issues to deal with besides your mutation illness." Karai hastily said, motioning for him to follow.

Leo made a pained expression as he recalled the strange injuries to her face and hands. The rest of her was covered up as usual in her signature ninja garb. She didn't want to tell him what he had done. It must be that horrible...

He heaved a gusty sigh as he went after her, snatching his katanas that were laying on a table nearby. The torn leather straps on the sheathes were repaired, telling him how violent his transformation must have been. He listened to Karai relay his new duties and schedule as he strapped his weapons around his shell.

"For the past week, you have been healing. I must know if you are up to taking on the current missions of late." she said, tapping info into a PDA with a fancy specially-made-for-the-Foot-Clan stylus.

"Karai, please..." Leo put his hand upon her hands and PDA, pushing them downward. As she looked at him and for a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of intense fear in her eyes.

"Tell me what I did to you." he demanded as gently as he could, his voice uptight ane pleading. He sensed her trembling as she coolly plowed forward away from him, tapping at the PDA nervously. Then she paused, deciding to tell him finally.

"Leonardo, I-" Karai began, but she was suddenly interrupted by loud boom that shook the walls.

"_What_ the shell was **_that_**?" Leo asked, shocked as Karai was, but she hid her surprise well. With her face emotionless, she put the PDA away in a room nearby and came back briefly.

"Hun..." she growled under her breath angrily.

"**_What?!_**" Leo exclaimed. "Hun?! How do you know?" Just then a guard ran towards them. He was out of breath and bleeding heavily from a gaping wound at his shoulder.

"Mistress Karai! Hun is here!" the guard gasped out.

"I know." she answered coolly, then paged for medical personnel. She listened to the frantic guard go on.

"He broke through our defenses with some sort of explosive device at level one! Kano's ninja are everywhere! We have many casualties! I barely escaped, Mistress!" the guard cried, then collapsed to the floor.

Once a medic came to his aid, Karai went back into that same room she had put her PDA. She returned swiftly with a fully stocked belt of shurikens and pair of katanas.

Silently, she strapped the weapons to her body and rushed off to level one. Leo was several steps ahead of her. Karai ordered him to stay behind, fearing he would hyper mutate again from this new stress. He ignored her protests.

Leo wasn't about to let Hun invade his beloved Karai's home like this! He had tunnel vision currently and had only one thing running through his mind. Remove the threat of Hun and his men from the building immediately!

Once at the first floor, Leo dove right into the fighting and mercilessly slaughtered Hun's troops one after another. Karai held her own the best she could, but Leo was making short work of these highly skilled ninja of Kano's.

Only a short minute of Leo's vicious onslaught of literally slicing people in half convinced the remaining soldiers to back off and retreat behind Hun to flee out the entrance they created with a bomb.

Leo let out a loud angry battle cry as he charged at Hun. The behemoth stood his ground, grinning since he had a deadly trick up his sleeve.

He planned to fry Leo to death with an oversized taser packing lethal strength. Whipping out the taser, he pointed it at Leo just as the Turtle was leaping into the air towards him.

Karai took action as she saw this happening and jumped with her left leg out. She buried her heel into Hun's chest, causing him to stumble backwards and miss Leo.

The shot took out a chandelier and it crashed to the floor, killing some of Kano's ninja instantly. Leo kicked Hun in the chin and the monster fell onto his backside with a loud thud, cursing and yelling.

Leo slashed the taser out of Hun's hand with his katana, cutting the device in half. It exploded with a loud pop of electricity. Before Hun could get up, both Karai and Leo had their bloody blades at his throat.

"Get out of my house!" Karai shouted, pushing the blade to the huge man's flesh. It took all Leo's will power not to plunge his swords into Hun.

"Gladly! Just return my assassin and I'll leave!" Hun shouted, breathing hard from the scuffle.

"Who are you talking about?" Karai hissed, annoyed.

"You know who!" Hun barked. "My best assassin! Death!" He paused to look at Leo oddly with an evil grin. "Your brother, Donatello...!" He looked back to Karai, narrowing his eyes. "You have him locked up here somewhere, admit it! I want him back!"

"Fool! I do **NOT** _have_ him! But I _**DO**_ want him! _**Where**_ is he hiding?! I **demand** to know!" Karai shot back while Leo felt numb inside. He was speechless and confused beyond belief. Hun just said himself that Don was the infamous Death!

It couldn't be true, could it? Don couldn't be a traitor! He couldn't _really_ be working for Hun and Kano! Could he...?

"I thought you had him captured and were holding him here." Hun said in a hushed voice, almost in disbelief. _Where_ WAS that freak?! Without him, Hun was losing his new supremely high rank within the underworld.

He had to have Don back to work before he lost a fresh deal he just had made recently. A deal that would put the Purple Dragons on the top of the underworld list forever.

But without Don, it wouldn't happen and Kano expected it to happen, or else Hun would be pushing up daisies six feet under... That freak couldn't really be missing! If Hun couldn't find him soon, he'd be dead meat.

"I've GOT to have that freak back, you hear me?!" Hun shouted, wanting to believe that Karai was simply hiding Don. He didn't want to think that Don was really truly gone where no one could find him. He would _**force**_ Karai to give Don back!

"**My brother _DOESN'T_ work for you _OR_ Kano, Hun!!!**" Leo exploded then, shaking. He refused to accept that Don was a traitor, despite what he was hearing from Karai and Hun.

"I KNOW you're hiding him here! Give him back!" Hun yelled, ignoring what Leo had said. He tossed them off and began swinging sloppy punches at them. They dodged his fists with grace and ease.

"**Imbecile!** Donatello is **_NOT_** here!" Karai scowled, getting sick and tired of this. She was quite pleased when Leo slammed his clasped fists down upon the back of Hun's head hard to stop the fool.

The giant man stuttered out a weak squeak of pain before he passed out and collapsed to the polished marble flooring. Karai looked to her beloved friend, splattered in blood and gore while the terrapin warrior's shoulders heaved tiredly.

"Thank you for subduing him, Leonardo." she praised, flicking her blades hard to get the excess blood off before sheathing them. Leo grit his teeth as his tightened fists shook with hurt emotion.

The same thing ran through his head over and over. Don just couldn't be a traitor... No, no... NO!

"_Now_ do you believe me about your brother Donatello?" Karai asked him as they left the first floor together while her workers cleaned up the damages and carnage. Hun was taken to a holding cell in the lower levels. Karai would deal with him later.

"I... I don't know..." Leo said downheartedly. Karai closed her private quarters' doors and locked them. She gave Leo a very agitated stare.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" she snapped, thoroughly disgusted. "Hun _**himself**_ told you that Donatello is Death! Why would he want your brother back? So he can continue working for him as he always had weeks before! He **_IS_** on **_their_** side, Leonardo! Wake up! Donatello is a gutless coward, hiding from us all!"

"**_SHUT UP!_ JUST SHUT THE H-LL UP, D-MN YOU!!!**" Leo roared angrily in her face, causing her to backpedal from him quickly.

"...Leonardo..." Karai said softly as Leo fiercely turned away, squeezing his eyes tightly in pained emotion.

"I'm going to find my brother and **_PROVE_** to you that he _ISN'T_ a traitor..." Leo snarled as he trembled with hurt rage. He faced her then, his expression cold and vicious.

"Don't you ever, _**EVER**_ call my brother a coward again... _Do you hear me?_" he hissed, his brown eyes aflame with intense anger. Karai said nothing yet she didn't back down from his glaring.

"When I find Don, you will apologize to him formally in front of the Foot Clan and clear his name of your slander." Leo ordered her and instantly Karai rebelled. No male creature told her what to do, ever!

"I refuse, for your brother Donatello IS a traitor. I will _**not**_ exonerate him!" Karai shot back.

"If you won't, then count me as one of your enemies again. I will punish you for hurting my family again and again, Karai! I _**tired**_ of it! I'm tired of excusing your misdeeds due to the love I have for you!" Leo said, his voice becoming hoarse near the end.

A long tense silence enveloped the two until Karai finally spoke. "Very well then. If you can prove to me that Donatello is not a traitor, then I shall do what is right." she told him, frowning.

She hated to give in like this, but she didn't want Leonardo to be her enemy again. He was stronger than ever and having him as an ally was obviously more beneficial to her safety and cause.

Leo seemed to soften up a bit and his raging scowling expression lifted, yet it didn't disappear. "Thank you." he replied, then headed to the windows. Karai watched him go wordlessly.

'Do what you wish, Leonardo...' she thought as she closed the windows Leo had just gone through. 'In my heart, I know Donatello has betrayed us all.'

* * *

As the lights dimmed to simulate nighttime, Don settled down in his makeshift hammock on his seventh night, beyond depressed. For one long agonizing week, he had been searching for a way out of Bishop's artificial environment.

Bishop's jungle habitat appeared to have no exit, except for the one he was shoved through. The area where Rose had been put through was magically nonexistent somehow.

Don was sure Bishop had injected him with something to raise his testosterone levels and keep them elevated. He couldn't help but behave like Raphael, thanks to that.

Rose was understanding, but Don could see in her eyes that she was deathly fearful of him due to his new rageful outbursts of hostility. That made Don so very angry and it was all Bishop's doing. He was so TIRED of being conquered, like this!

He didn't know how he made it through each night into the next horrible day as he numbly searched for food for himself and Rose. They hadn't eaten anything the first day thanks to their shock and misfortune.

He eventually tracked down the wild boars and snared one per day with some jungle vines. Killing the hogs helped ease some of the emotional distress Don had as he pretended the squealing pigs were actually Bishop as he broke their necks.

Mating with Rose every evening after the second day seemed to finally give him some real relief. But every session was strained and neither were able to enjoy themselves knowing that Bishop was witnessing it all from hidden cameras.

Although Don did it within the 'privacy' of thick large lush jungle leaves, he could sense Bishop's evil 'presence' and it was very unnerving. That monster was always watching and waiting.

Don was waiting too. If he couldn't find a way out on his own, then he would attack Bishop's men as soon as they came in to fetch Rose to inspect her.

Thankfully, a water source was close to that metal door and window Don had entered this place through, so he made camp nearby. He would be ready when they opened that door.

The window he tried breaking down earlier proved to be unbreakable as was the door. Feeling like he was living in a demonic twilight zone, Don pulled his arm around Rose tighter as she laid next to him in the hammock.

By now, Don's hormones were leveled off and he was more like his usual gentle self, although he was fairly irritable due to the situation they were in. Rose's fear had gone, which Don was thankful for.

He had been quite vicious in the beginning of the week, yet Rose stood by him regardless. He was glad he took her back. He doubted Cleo would have been so forgiving and understanding as Rose.

One hour passed and Don was still wide-awake. Thinking of Cleo only deepened his annoyance. He really liked her too, but really she only wanted to use him. Just like Bishop was doing.

'I'm so SICK of being used!' Don thought, grimacing. In an angry huff, he shifted his weight and turned himself so he could hold Rose in both of his arms. Jarred, Rose woke up, quickly inhaling air loudly as she stretched.

"Can't sleep?" she asked softly, petting his cheek. Don scowled and sighed disgustedly, shaking his head.

"No, I can't." he said grouchily, wishing he could get his hands around Bishop's throat so he could crush it. "I must find a way out of this d-mned place." Don said, furrowing his brow harder.

"You will, Don. Try to get some sleep. You'll need it." Rose yawned and nestled her head to the pliable soft folds of his wrinkled terrapin neck and his strong firm shoulder. He certainly made for a wonderful pillow.

Having him there helped her sleep better. She knew he would protect her and keep her safe at all times. Even when he was terribly mean to her in the beginning of the week, he had always kept her safe. As she fell back to sleep, Don listened to her steady slow breathing and realized that meditating might help him sleep.

Leo often got very upset whenever Don and his brothers fell asleep durng meditation, but it was hard not to. Back when he was a teen, Don wanted to be a shaman badly.

After hearing a voice in his dreams telling him to find 'it', Don wanted to know more and asked Splinter about it. His adopted father told him to pursue this voice in the forest near Casey and April's old farmhouse.

He went out there, searching and even calling out for this magical thing whatever it was. He eventually did find the voice calling him and it was a huge ancient turtle creature, the 'father' of all terrapins.

It was pleased to see him, saying that Don's kind should be the real humanoids ruling the Earth. But no, instead the accursed greedy mammals ate the reptiles' eggs. They could not prosper nor get to evolve into human-like creatures as the apes had.

Even though most scientists believed in evolution, Don didn't and believed everyone was created for a reason, not there by accident or just came to be just because who knows why.

He hated to think of how Dr. Perry had said Don and his brothers were accidents of science. He didn't say it to be unkind, but the Turtle in purple took it as an insult. Don fiercely believed he and his brothers were special and here for a reason.

With the 'father' turtle, Don wasn't sure if the next things that happened were real or not, but he helped the 'father' hatch a huge egg by using his will. But he couldn't remember much after that.

Leo found him in the farmhouse soon after. Don didn't recall going back there, but he was there somehow. Still, he had to show Leo the 'father' turtle.

They found the ancient turtle being again. There was another egg to be hatched, but like before Don lost his memory of what happened afterwards and both Leo and he were back in the farmhouse without knowing how.

Leo suggested they meditate to reflect on what happened and maybe they'll remember the blanked out spots in their minds. Linked with his little brother's mind, Leo learned that Don wanted to be a shaman. Badly.

But Don was terribly saddened when he realized he wasn't as 'magically-spiritual' as his older brother was. Leo understood how much Don wanted to be a shaman, so he tried to help him through meditation.

Too many failed attempts to bring this elusive, yet supposedly natural magical talent left Don bitter and annoyed, so he went back to science.

After Leo came back from his training in Central America, Don was reminded of his failures when Leo showed Splinter in secret that he could phase through solid matter.

Seeing Leo going through the wooden door of Splinter's room blew Don away. Leo was becoming something like a mystical awesome shaman much to Don's dismay.

Knowing he could never master such an incredible seemingly-impossible skill, Don went back to tinkering with science-only endeavors for months.

Eventually, Leo offered to teach Don the art of phasing. At first, Don pretended he wasn't interested in such nonsense that was unscientific and fake even though he had witnessed it to be true and longed to try.

In hurt jealousy, Don did everything he could to belittle Leo's new found skills and had a terrible fight with him over spirituality in general. But Leo saw in his little brother's eyes that he wanted to learn despite his hateful words.

The two eventually made up and then Leo taught a now accepting Don how to phase. Believing was the biggest part. Also important was concentrating and being 'pure' as Leo called it. Trying for weeks on end, Don never could do it.

He couldn't understand why and it disgusted him. Why couldn't he do something he longed to do? Although he loved science, he enjoyed being spiritual and wanted to be magically-inclined.

To have supernatural powers, control the weather, or make day into night, that's what Don wished he had the power to do. Something great and awe-inspiring. Phasing would be a wonderful satisfying start. It would be satisfying period!

Pushing away those bad memories of his inability to phase, Don meditated halfheartedly and drifted off to sleep. He soon found himself in a forest that wasn't Bishop's artificial environment.

"..._Find me_..." That voice! Don remembered it instantly from when he was a young budding teenager dreaming to be a shaman. It was the voice of the 'father' of all terrapins.

"Where are you?! I need some help!" Don cried out desperately. Maybe the 'father' could help him escape Bishop's evil clutches.

"I'm right here, Don."

Don whirled around to see Leo standing behind him and he was holding a crystal. Leo sat on the grass cross-legged and motioned for Don to do the same. Hesitantly, he copied him, sitting across from him, so close that their toes touched.

"Hear the crystal, Don. Recharge it with your life." Leo told him, holding the crystal out. Don took it from him and symbolically tried to 'charge' it by holding it ceremoniously to his chest.

"No, Don. Not like that. You have to believe and hear what I'm telling you." Leo had another crystal suddenly out of nowhere and it glowed as if on command. Don held his crystal the same way Leo was, but it didn't glow.

"I don't get it, Leo. I'm trying, but nothing is happening." Don complained, getting frustrated. Leo reached out and grabbed his brother's arms. He seemed to be analyzing his life energies.

"You must concentrate and believe, Don. Believe that you can do this. Then you'll be able to do what you need to do." he said soothingly, handing over his crystal to him. Suddenly, Leo stood up and the forest dissipated.

Now, they were in the Lair. Leo walked towards Splinter's room and waved for him to come along. "Come on, Don! Father's calling us! Hurry!" Leo said as he usually did back when Splinter was alive and wanted to see them.

He never kept Splinter waiting when he wanted to see any of them. Leo was phasing through the wooden door of Splinter's room and not wanting to be left behind, Don raced after him.

"Leo, wait!" Don cried, running. He grabbed Leo's hand before he went completely through and began to pass into the door himself. In a shock, Don woke up.

He was standing in the hallway Bishop had taken him down on his first day to this horrible farm. Breathing hard, he could barely believe it at first. He phased right through the walls of that artificial environment!

"D-Don..? W-what just happened?"

He looked to Rose who was standing next to him as he clutched her hand. He realized that he had phased Rose out of the artificial environment too!

"I can't believe it!" Don cried in a hushed whisper. "I actually phased us out of that ridiculous place!"

"B-but, how? You tumbled us out of the hammock and started sleepwalking towards that metal door. But then you turned sharply and ran to the wall. I grabbed your hand to stop you from running into it and now we're out in this hallway instead..." Rose said softly in bewilderment.

"I'm glad we're out though." she added with a smile. Don smiled back and hugged her in joy. He finally did it! He phased right through concrete and steel! And with Rose too! He could again pursue his dream to be a shaman afterall.

"And you're going back in." said a voice. Don and Rose instantly turned their attention to the guard standing a yard away. Don reached for his bo staff from his back, but the guard cocked his gun, ready to fire.

"Don't even try it." the guard said. Rose realized she recognized him.

"Is that you? James?" Rose asked, squinting in the dim light. Don started to realize that this guard was James Walker, Rose's brother's best friend.

"Walker? What are you doing here?" Don asked, taking a step closer with plans to disarm him.

"I'm here to take Rose away to safety. Bishop wants to gas you with a large dose of the anti-cure and have Assassin battle you to the death. He plans to use Rose to tame you while you're hyper mutated, but I know what will really happen if that occurs! I must save Rose by taking her away from this place." Walker explained.

"Away from **_ME_** you mean!" Don shot back angrily, not forgetting one bit how this man had eyes for his beloved Rose. Walker held out a device, his thumb poised over a red button at the top.

"Don't try anything or I'll be forced to activate this alarm. Then say goodbye to your short-lived freedom!" Walker threatened. "Just let me take Rose away from this place and back to New York."

"I won't go without Don." Rose said firmly before her terrapin lover could retort.

"Rose, you don't understand. Bishop's been tainting the water sources in there with your brother's anti-cure ever since day one. Donatello will hyper mutate at any moment. None of us are safe." Walker tried to get through to her.

"I can make the serum that will reverse it!" Rose cried, gesturing with her hands. "Just take me to a lab and-"

"None of you are going anywhere." Bishop said with a small army of guards around him. He looked to Don, who was giving him very hateful glares. "I don't know how you got out of your cage, but you're going back in."

"Men." Bishop signaled and the army prepared their high tech weapons. The charging sound of their guns alarmed Walker. He rushed forward and tried to snatch Rose away to keep her from being shot at.

Angrily, Don viciously knocked Walker down, causing him to yelp in pain, which made the army open fire immediately. Not wanting for Rose to get hit, Don created distance between him and her as he attacked the army of firing guards.

He didn't hold back and slammed his bo staff into one guard after another. Some were killed instantly while others were critically injured from Don's savage crushing blows.

At one point, Bishop grabbed the end of Don's staff and the Turtle yanked back, but the government worker held his ground with a wicked grin.

"How do you like it, Donatello? Your brute animal strength isn't going to get you out of this situation. Nothing will!" he jeered with overconfidence.

Enraged, Don let the staff go and lunged for the federal government worker's throat. In a sick twisted joy, Bishop taunted and teased poor Don like he was nothing more than a silly stupid animal. He was trying to get Don upset and angry enough to hyper mutate.

As some guards attempted to ambush Don from behind while he was busy reaching for Bishop's throat, the Turtle's patience was cut short. He turned around and slaughtered them mercilessly, roaring with intense wrath from the effects of the anti-cure. The stress of the battle was activating the anti-cure into action.

"**Don! Don! Nooo! _Stop!_ Donatello!**" Rose cried as she witnessed her lover attack and kill the guards. Walker grabbed Rose, yanking her away to safety.

"Let me _go_, James! I _have_ to help Don! I **_can't_** leave him here!" she cried, struggling to free herself from his grasp.

"Are you insane? He's about to hyper mutate any second! He's _dangerous_! Let's go!" Walker shouted, opening a door that led to the outside of the base.

"Never!" Rose snatched the backup pistol from Walker's belt and aimed it at him. "Help me save him, please!"

Suddenly, a body flew and hit Walker, knocking him down. Since the Turtle had killed most of the guards, Bishop was running out of armed resistance to keep his prized specimen under wraps, giving Don a good chance to flee through that open door.

Don grabbed Rose's hand and they took off into the door and down a long beige hallway. Bishop realized what was happening and expressed his disgusted ire.

"Walker, you idiot! You're letting him- THEM _**escape**_!" Bishop shouted angrily in a rough loud tone. Walker had a worried expression on his face as he gave chase. He feared Rose would be butchered by Don.

He prayed that he could subdue Don with his plasma rifle and save Rose. Then he would work on winning her heart and return her to being a normal human being, not this cross-species advocate.

Walker watched Don tug on the door at the end of the hallway that led to the outside parking lots. The man put his gun on stun mode and fired. Walker felt bad hearing Rose cry in distress as she witnessed Don getting shot like that.

"James, you monster! How could you hurt him!?" she screamed, down on her knees with her arms around Don's hurting shaking form crumpled on the floor.

Walker's feelings for Rose made him forget his sentimental feelings for animals and aimed the rifle at Don once more. This Turtle was a rival and he had to be eliminated.

"Get away from him before he hyper mutates! Hurry!" Walker warned, but Rose didn't budge. "I won't leave him! I won't!"

Suddenly, Don stood up fast in terrible stress, shrieking in displeasure as his body grew larger. As Walker feared, Don was hyper mutating right there and now in the narrow hallway they were in.

"_**UURGH!!**_ Stay away from me! I'm- I'm changing!" Don growled, holding his sides momentarily in pain before he kicked the door off its hinges. Walker raced forward and grabbed Rose. He flung her behind himself and fired again.

Don was shoved outside by the blast and he struggled not to lose his mind as his agony intensified. Rose shoved Walker aside and ran out to Don. "NO! Rose, stop! You'll be killed!" Walker shouted, chasing her.

Rose ignored him and cuddled Don as he layed on the asphalt, struggling with his severe pain and swelling burning muscles. "You'll be alright, Donatello. You'll be alright, just hold on. I'll make some serum for you as soon as I can. Just calm down. I'm here." she said reassuringly as she could in her shaken state.

"N-nooo... Rose..! Just go! Leave! I can't- I can't promise I won't-" Don paused to gasp and wince in torment. "-hurt you! Pleeease!!! Stay away! I- I-...!"

He cringed, bowing over, though not from just the pain, but the thought of him hurting and killing Rose. It destroyed him just thinking of such a thing. He wouldn't be able to forgive nor live with himself...

"I won't leave you when you need me the most!" Rose shot back, grabbing his face and making him look at her. Wet streams poured down from his eyes and nostrils as he sobbed in distress.

"Rose... You have to keep away, I-... **_AAARGHH!!!_**" Don clenched his jaws and fists as another powerful wave of agonizing transformation overtook him. His civilized mind began to fade and he knew he had to get her away from him! Now! Before it was too late!

He swatted her away as gently as he could, but Walker saw it as an attack from a vicious animal and fired his weapon repetitively. Rose's screaming protests were drowned out by Don's loud roars of suffering as he scurried to the sea of parked cars.

Chucking cars at Walker got the man to stop firing at the Turtle, but he was horrified to see Rose running to Don again. Unbeknownst to them all, Bishop was watching a few feet away, hidden in the shadows.

He carefully observed how Rose approached a fully transformed Donatello and waited. The female scientist confronted the raging hyper mutated Turtle and Bishop grinned as she was able to get Don to stop throwing cars.

"I know you're still there, Donatello! I know you are! Just calm down, come with me to the labs. I can help you. Cure you." Rose said soothingly, reaching out to him.

Don's civil mind remained enough that he didn't immediately attack her as his animal instincts commanded him to. He struggled to speak through the many rows of long sharp teeth filling his gums.

"N-no... Ssserum...not...effective..! Must...find crystals!" Don snarled out, disturbed how monstrous he sounded. "They..are-... Are the cure!"

"We never found any crystals, Don..." Rose said sadly. She decided to change the subject, fearing talk of the lack of crystals would upset him more so. "Come, I'll make you serum instead for now. You can do it, Don. You can fight this. You'll be ok."

Rose and Don stared into each other's eyes. She tried to not be frighten by how extremely bloodshot Don's eyes were as she reached out to touch his face. She wanted to reassure him with a loving caress.

Suddenly, Bishop noticed a dangerous change in the terrapin's eyes and shouted at Walker to fire at Don immediately as he paged for Assassin to get over here.

"Shoot him, Walker!" Bishop hollered just as the hyper mutated terrapin roughly tackled Rose to the ground and poised his jagged jaws wide over her face, ready to take the first meaty bite...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 43! **I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!) Current events/ In the next chapter(s): Will Rose escape from hyper mutated Don alive?**

**The Turtles are out of time to find a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will Don get those crystals in time (IF he escapes Bishop's farm)? Later, Carter (from the 90's 'Red Sky' series) and Sydney (from the 2k3 series) will make an appearance. This and lots more! Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time! ^_^**


	43. The Cure Found & April's Painful Secret

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.43

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Casey and April, plus Mona Lisa, Rose, and Bishop.**

**Sorry for the late updates. I had severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both my hands since the beginning of the year which prevented me from writing and drawing. I've been feeling somewhat better so I can resume writing and drawing.**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Walker took aim to fire what he hoped would be a lethal shot at the monstrous terrapin. As Don hovered Rose, she was frightened to death, yet somehow she kept herself from screaming. She laid frozen stiff beneath Don, praying he would regain his civilized mind before it was too late.

Then, all at once it happened. The explosion of Walker's gun going off, next hot blood spraying her face. Rose could barely believe what her eyes were telling her at first, but she had no choice when Don slumped over her, bleeding from a gaping wound at his left shoulder.

Bishop watched with an indifferent sneer as Rose went into hysterics while trapped under her lover's heavy form. "Rose! Rose, I'm coming for you! Rose!" Walker hurried over, calling out to her. It was his first mistake.

Quick as lightning, Don sprang at Walker and tackled him to the ground. After a brief scuffle, Don tore Walker's rifle away and snapped the powerful titanium weapon into several pieces as if it were made of styrofoam.

The terrapin flung the pieces at Walker and Bishop, the muzzle part hitting and knocking Walker out as he tried to flee. Don couldn't help roaring pretty much like a rabid dinosaur then, but he couldn't help it.

He was very angry and in so much pain. He was about to charge Bishop when excessive blood gushed forth from his shoulder. He stopped, finally realizing the severity of his injury. Before, his intense rage blinded him from this dire wound. He could no longer ignore it.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Don grasped his shoulder and winced. Despite her panic, Rose shakily got to her feet and went to Don. The love she had for him pushed the strawberry blonde woman to her lover as fast as her rubbery legs would take her.

Bishop was paging for his army to get out to the parking lot when he noticed Rose rushing to Don and began to observe carefully. 'If she can tame that savage beast now, then my project _will_ succeed surely...' he thought half-grimly and half-pleased.

"Donatello! Don! Stop, **stop**! You'll bleeding all over; you _must_ calm down!" Rose cried, gesturing with her hands. Don struggled to pacify the intense screaming agony within his body, so he could actually understand what Rose was saying.

But it sounded like nonsense to him now. His reptilian roots were dominating his every thought process and he had constant terrible urges to just attack and kill instead. Yet a glimmer of light shined through all his dark vicious animal instincts, halting him from going on a nonstop massacre.

Don's love for Rose was working as a weak deterrent, stopping him from opting to go rampaging and devour everyone. He could sense this fragile mental leash reminding him of his civilized mind. Of his true self.

He gave her a distressed look, fighting to regain control of his dwindling, fading-in-and-out civil mind. Those strong urges to slaughter mindlessly were driving him crazy. The only way to get 'relief' would be to give in to those urges...

_**No!**_ He had to be stronger than that! He had to try to stay human no matter what. But doing so seemed impossible when Bishop's troops appeared, firing bullets and shooting electrified nets. Rose held her trembling hands to her face as she witnessed her beloved Donatello ferociously butcher those troops.

Seeing Don decapitate one soldier after another with his bare claws was too much for Rose. Unable to handle all the emotional distress, she fainted and fell to the ground. Hearing Rose hitting the asphalt, Don turned to look at her. It was the distraction Assassin needed.

The remaining breathing soldiers cheered in relief when Assassin slammed Don to the hard pavement. Both snarled and growled at one another, punching and clawing. Bishop went back to observation mode and grinned evilly when Assassin dug his talons deep into Don's already wounded left shoulder.

That attack was a grave error for Assassin. The intense agony sent poor Don over the edge. The massive mutant terrapin snatched Assassin and lifted him off his feet. The cloned mutant hybrid flailed wildly, but it was in vain. Don turned towards the outer electrified barbed wire fence and flung Assassin into it with all his might.

"_**NOOOO!!!**_" Bishop yelled, but his protest was drowned out by Assassin's bellowing screams. Don had thrown him with so much force that that part of the fence collapsed low enough for the mutant Turtle to easily step over.

As Assassin crumbled to the ground, Don headed for the sagging fence. But along the way, he first snatched up Rose and tucked her under his right arm. Bishop hollered at his men to not let him- them escape.

Don ran as fast as he could in his new hulking form with all his injuries. He proved too quick for Bishop's now reluctant troops as he raced through a nearby forest. When Bishop's tracking dogs came after him, Don let his stomach decide what to do with the canines.

The few that escaped gave up their mission and ran for their lives, yelping and whining. Snacking on dogs should help him to not eat Rose, at least he hoped so. There had been too many moments were he had to yank his jaws away from her skull as his civilized mind returned just in time in passing waves.

After finishing the last dog, he tossed the carcass aside feeling horrible. He was truly a terrible monster, well, he definitely felt like one. He recalled how awesome it would be to be a real dinosaur and scoffed, which sounded like he was bark-growling.

He certainly was like a real dinosaur now. Eating everything in sight. There was nothing great about being a vicious mindless beast covered in blood. Heavy hot tears slid down his cheeks as he sobbed silently. Why couldn't he just be normal?! Not diseased with this dangerous mutation disorder!

'Master Splinter, please... _**Please**_... Make this all come to an end somehow... Father, please... Help me...' Don thought as he wept. The terrapin had kept close to the roadways that ran parallel to the forest. He planned to get the attention of any passing cars and leave Rose close to the road so concerned motorists could take her to safety...and away from him.

Unfortunately, there were no cars driving by during the hour and half Don had been traveling. He had been going East using the stars as guides when he could think normally, which was thankfully now a steady, yet weak occurrence. Although he had salvaged enough of his civilized mind to stop the bleeding in his left shoulder, he wasn't able to handle this insanity of pain and distress too well.

He was blacking out over and over for very short periods of time from the blood loss. He feared he would pass out and wake up completely savage and hungry. Or be found and caged like an animal.

Although he had started out as one, this Turtle wanted to stay human and even deemed himself as one once he had been mutated. Discovering how great it was to be a sentient being, he never wanted to go back to being a simple dumb little shelled reptile ever again. Nor did he want to be treated as one either.

Don climbed up a steep, but thankfully short embankment to the roadway and took Rose down off his back. He propped her up against the guard rail and wished he could kiss her goodbye. Instead he nuzzled her as he held her gently the best he could without crushing her.

Just then, he heard crackling a few yards away in the underbrush from the embankment. The bobbing flashes of light signified flashlights. Voices. A man and a woman? Immediately, Don assumed it was Bishop's guards and growled deep in his throat before he attacked.

But he was in for a surprise when he saw who the two people were. He tried to say their names, but Sydney's frightened screams set poor Don's savage mind to kick in and continue with his initial attack.

"Look out, Carter!"

"What?! Whoa!! No way!" Carter dodged Don just in time and tried to make sense of what or who he was seeing. Was that really one of the Turtles? He had seen them all hyper mutate before, but not this badly.

"Hey, there big guy!" Carter said tensely, wishing he hadn't cured his mutation 'skill' afterall. It'd be mighty handy right about now. "Which one are you? Raph?" He decided no when he noticed the fairly decent shape this Turtle's shell was in.

"Mikey?" He jumped aside again to avoid Don's charging attacks. He caught a glimpse of his eye color when he shone his flashlight at the huge critter. Brown. Nope. Not Mikey. That crazy joking Turtle's eyes were baby blue.

"You can't be Leo, his skin was more a yellow-ish color when he hyper mutated. Oh man! Don? Donatello, is that you?" Carter backed up to the tree where Sydney was hiding behind. He could use the 'protection' too.

"Caaarrrr-turrrr..." Don grasped his head, shaking as he tried to think normally again. "Help...meee..." he managed to say finally. "How?" Carter asked, disturbed. The last time they used crystals, but those were all gone now.

"Dregg took the last of the crystals remember? And the dust left over disintegrated years ago." Carter nearly had a heart attack when Sydney gasped loudly as she had a sudden revelation.

"That's it! Crystals! I kept one crystal from the catacombs!" she cried. "_**That**_ could cure him!"

"Catacombs?" Carter was stumped, then he remembered. "Oh yeah! Where you kept prisoner doing work for the Shredder, right?"

"Yes, there! I have a crystal back home, but it's pretty small. Nevertheless, it should return him to normal." Sydney exclaimed with a smile. Don had helped her and her friends down in the catacombs. He was the one who found their cure so they could go back to their lives as regular people before they were kidnapped.

She had always wanted to repay his kindness, but didn't know how. Now she could by curing him. She knew exactly what it was like being trapped inside the body of a mindless monster thanks to the Shredder's awful DNA-altering experiments.

"Great! Let's get him there. Come on, Dee. Our Jeep's a short trek away." Carter said, waving his hand in a kind gesture. Don looked to the embankment to the road where he had left Rose.

"What's wrong, Donnie-Tee?" Carter said, hoping friendly old nicknames would keep the Turtle calm.

"Row-sss... Must...get..." Don tried to say as he pointed, but they came out as groaning growls instead. Carter was curious to what he meant and headed up the earthy slope.

"Something there?" Sydney asked, carefully going around Don with plenty of distance just in case. She climbed up and saw a pretty woman splattered with dark dried blood.

"We've got to get her to a hospital!" Sydney cried once she saw her. Carter happened to shine his light on Don more and noticed he was in bad shape as well.

"They both need it, but we can't go taking Don to the ER, can we?" he asked, knowing the answer. Sydney shook her head. "No."

"We'll treat them." Carter decided then. With a lab in the basement of his house, he should be able to perform some decent medical procedures. "Let's go."

* * *

Knowing that Hun was off the streets gave Leonardo one less thing to worry about, but hearing what that hulking behemoth had to say about Don drove the alpha male Turtle insane. It just couldn't be true that Don was indeed a traitor.

No matter how much he refused to believe it, more evidence was slammed into his face. Leo was thoroughly agitated by it all. His other brothers were away with Mona Lisa as she tried to come up with a real cure for them all.

'Karai's scientists failed to find a cure for us...' Leo thought as he perched on top of a water tower overlooking the West side of the city. 'Why can't Don find the cure? Maybe...maybe he's too busy working for Hun to do that...'

"No... I won't believe it... My brother would never... Don would never betray us... He _couldn't_... He's my baby brother... He's not like that..." Leo told himself in a hurt hushed voice. "I love him... I know he loves us back... He does..."

Leo narrowed his eyes and jumped down to the rooftop below. "Why am I trying to convince myself of what I know is true?" he asked in a louder tone. He answered himself then.

"Because...because I fear the 'truth' I know might be a lie..."

Enough of this! Leo decided to check on April and Casey then. New gangs were trying to start up due to Hun's absence and they wanted to claim some of his territory before he could stop them.

Plenty of those new gangs were popping up near Casey and April's new apartment, so Leo wanted to make sure that they were ok. But he couldn't believe what he heard nor saw as he silently slipped into their home.

Casey was arguing with April, complaining that he couldn't get promoted because he couldn't explain to his superiors who was behind certain murders when he knew it was Donatello. He couldn't get Leo to snitch on Karai, so overall he'd never get ahead in his career.

Thus, his pay would remain low and they could never afford a house nor send May to college. Casey had enough of his 'so-called' green 'friends' and wanted them in jail for killing people and aiding criminals.

Now, of course, Casey was drunk, as he normally wouldn't scream such hatred for the Turtles. But with threats of being fired should he not get results or at least a single lead on these cases, Casey had to choose and he picked the well-being of his family.

Leo felt terribly hurt knowing how much animosity had grown in Casey for him and his brothers, yet he could not bring himself to reveal info about his beloved Karai's felonious ways, which would send her to jail for life. Or worse, the death sentence.

If anyone was to give Karai a death sentence, it had to be Leo. If she had to die, he would make sure it'd be quick and painless. Having her alive in jail for life wasn't acceptable. He wouldn't be able to express his undying love to her in prison.

Besides, a life on the run was not befitting to her as he knew she would escape any caged fortress. She deserved to walk free even though she truly was bad. It was something Leo purposely overlooked for her due to his feelings for her.

"It just ain't right, April!" Casey hiccupped as he slammed his fist on the kitchen table. "Good-for-nothing scum! They're just as bad as the trash they kill!"

"Casey! They're our friends..." April said weakly, worn out from fighting daily about this subject on the Turtles. Casey scowled and grabbed April suddenly, shaking her.

"_**NO!**_ They **_ain't _**our friends, April! They are _NOTHING_, but d-mned killers! Just like f-cking Hun and the Purple Dragons! _Stop_ sticking up for them, you hear me?! No wife of mine is gonna protect butchers! _**Understand?!**_" Casey roared, pushing her into a wall.

"No, Casey! Stop, please!"

Leo's eyes widen as Casey began to beat April, slapping her face and hitting her as she tried to defend herself. She cringed down to the floor, but Casey didn't let up and continued to hurt her. This HAD to stop!

"I _told_ you to **forget** about them! They ain't our friends, d-mmit! I'm SICK of you harping on how 'good' they still are! They are monsters!" Casey yelled in a drunken rage. Leo charged in and knocked Casey away from April, causing him to tumble over a chair.

"The only monster here is you..." Leo said stiffly, frowning.

"No, no, Leo! You can't be here!" April hissed in a frightened whisper as he helped her up off the floor.

"Leo?! You son of a b-tch! Get the h-ll out of my house, you d-mned bloody butcher!" Casey hollered, hurrying over to where his belt held his service revolver and yanked it free. April rushed over to Casey to stop him.

"No, Casey, stop it! Please!" she begged. He flung her down into a chair behind him and slapped her again. She cried in pain as she held her cheek.

"Casey!" Leo warned, reaching up for a katana blade. "April, get away from him!"

"No, stay, d-mmit! **_I'M_** your husband!" Casey shoved April back down into the chair and held her there with one hand as he kept his aim at Leo.

"A good, _noble_ husband doesn't beat his wife..." Leo said darkly.

"Oh yeah? Well, good NOBLE guys don't murder!" Casey shot back. Leo's brown eyes were thin slits as he glared back, his anger growing.

"What my brothers and I do to keep the peace is what this city needs..." the Turtle replied, his voice low and testy. "You know why we take lives... Plus, we only take ones that threaten others."

"That doesn't even make any d-mn sense, you freak!" Casey scowled, cocking the gun. "Now get the h-ll outta my house before I blow your brains out!"

Leo said nothing, dropped his hand from his katana's handle and backed away. He briefly looked to April, who was humiliated to have Leo find out her 'secret' of spousal abuse. She couldn't even look him in the eyes, it was just too embarrassing to make eye contact.

The wrinkles around the blue clad Turtle's dark brown eyes crinkled up in sadness for her. She never backed down to a man before, but after getting married, she had softened up and changed. Leo deemed it was not for the better.

He pretended to leave and waited for Casey to go to bed before he confronted April. At first, she attempted to make him leave, but succumbed to collapsing into his muscular green arms as she cried into his plastron.

"So... How long has this been going on?" Leo asked finally. April wiped away her tears with some tissues, sniffling. She did her best to hide her bruises with makeup, but now the truth was out.

She was a battered wife, yet she stayed with Casey since he only beat her when he was drunk and promised not to do it again. She kept on believing him.

He wasn't truly a bad guy. It was only when he drank excessively was when he became vicious. The problem now was that he drank a lot every night to deal with the negative things happening at work and she paid dearly when he did. She didn't want May to see her father beat on her mother, so April sent her daughter away to her sister Robin for the time being.

"Ever since Don got rid of those gangsters, Casey's really gone downhill. At first, he only drank once and a while, but now he drinks excessively, practically every night. We mostly argue about money, but that usually leads to why we have such problems and...well, Casey believes you guys are the source..."

April watched Leo turn his head to the side and didn't know what to think, but she did add, "I'm so sorry Leo..."

"No, I'm the one who should say that, April..." Leo said softly, thinking hard. If...if Don was really a traitor, then Leo should turn him in to Casey. Then maybe Casey wouldn't beat on April anymore... But then, what about Don? His beloved little baby smart brother?

Should he just 'sell' him off like that? What about Karai? He should 'sell' her actually, but Leo just couldn't do it. If Don was indeed working for Hun and a real traitor, then he would be a bigger threat than Karai ever could be...

Shell! What was he thinking? To stop Casey from beating April, he would hand his brother over to human justice? Who was the real traitor to their brotherhood then? Leo closed his eyes. 'I would be...' he thought grimly.

Then he remembered something. Hun. He was locked up at Karai's fortress. Leo knew Karai wanted to keep Hun under lock and key, completely under HER control only so she could fully interrogate him. Still...

If he handed Hun over to Casey, that might help improve the situation. That notion made Leo confident that he could fix things here. He always had to make things right no matter what.

"You should go to a shelter, April. You shouldn't let anyone abuse you like Casey has been. I know you love each other, but it's best if you stay away from him until things improve. Please, do it for me and especially yourself." Leo headed for an open window in the kitchen and stepped out onto the fire escape. April followed him to see him off.

"And tell Casey to meet me at the old railroad yard on the East side. I'll have somebody he wants." Leo promised. April had to ask who.

"Hun. Just tell him to meet me there tomorrow night." Leo ordered and disappeared into the dark. April sighed and closed the window. She missed the good old days when they were younger and the guys were fun-loving teens having good times together.

'Times change, but not always for the better...' she thought as she covered the window with its curtains.

* * *

"No, he can't be gone!" Rose cried after a strange woman named Sydney told her the horrible news about Don. She had passed out from the carnage back at Bishop's base only to wake up and find herself in someone's house on their couch.

Sydney explained who she was and who her husband, Carter, was, but it didn't matter to Rose now. The dark haired woman had said they were too late in giving Don the crystal cure and he seemed to be fading away instead.

Rose refused to believe this and rushed down to the basement to see her beloved Donatello strapped to weird machines. His eyes were open and glazed over in a way that convinced Rose of the awful truth before her.

She had seen many lab rats, mice, rabbits, and monkeys die off from experimental drugs and painful procedures. She knew the lifeless look very well and she was devastated to see that in Don's bloodshot eyes.

In a panic, she grabbed and shook him hard, screaming his name to come back and not die. Sydney held back a bit to stop her own tears from this emotional heart-wrenching display. It would do no good for Rose to make herself sick like this, so Sydney tried to make her leave.

Too grief-stricken to resist, Rose let Sydney take her away from Don. Within the Turtle, his spirit was attracted to a bright white light in a sea of inky darkness. Faster he went to the light when he saw Splinter standing in the middle of it.

"Father!!!" Don cried, burying his face into his thick plush fur. He was real! Really truly real and physically there! He could touch and see and smell him as he was when he was alive. He never wanted to let go, but Splinter made him do so.

"No, my son. Not yet. You have to go back." the wise rat said, his words upsetting poor Don terribly.

"Go back? Go back to where, Master?" Don asked, his eyes searching his adopted father's unreadable expression. Then it became a sad one as he would like to have at least one of his sons with him, he could not be so selfish and deny him a long life.

When Splinter did not answer right away, Don went back to hugging and snuggling him. With a pained look, Splinter pushed his son away again. Don took this badly as tears welled in his eyes.

"You're...you're mad at me still, aren't you? I really tried to find a cure for your cancer, Father, I really did! I'm sorry! Please, let me be with you!" Don sobbed, begging almost. His heart ached and longed for the old rat. He needed to feel that warm loving security he only could get from Splinter.

"My son, you have no idea how much I'd love to keep you here with me. But I can not. You can not leave your brothers behind, can you?" Splinter asked. Torn, Don couldn't answer and this only made things harder for the rat. He answered Don for him.

"Absolutely not! You must go back. Your time is not now. Go back. Now!" Splinter wiped away the tears stinging in his eyes and forcefully turned Don back towards the darkness.

"But Master, I have so much to tell you! Don't reject me, please! I want to be with you!" Don's voice was shrill and filled with urgency. Splinter heaved a sigh and went in front of his smartest son to say goodbye.

"Silence! I have not rejected you, Donatello. I never will. Same for your brothers. You must stop pretending you don't know where you are! You mustn't leave your siblings behind! They need you!" Splinter's harsh words cut through Don worse than Leo's katanas ever could. The old rat grabbed Don and hugged him fiercely before licking his tear-stained face with much rodent endearment.

"Live long and well, my son. I love you so very much..." the rat said with extreme love and affection, then let Don go. The Turtle fell through the blackness so fast and hard that it surprised and frightened him.

Then his senses slammed him, causing the poor mutant terrapin to scream out and jump to his feet. The machines attached to him were pulled along and they fell face first to the floor with explosive booming crashes.

Don stood in the middle of a room he had never seen before. Breathing wildly, his eyes frantically scanned the place quickly. He was so beyond stunned and shocked that all he could do was stand and hyperventilate.

After a few moments, he realized that he was alive again and as strange as it was, he loathed it. He was with Splinter again, but now he wasn't. He missed him so much that he couldn't stand it. Why'd they bring him back?! _Why?!_

He hated to be alive now with the hyper mutation disorder growing progressively worse, making him into a mindless beast with no hope or future. But to be dead and with Splinter would have been a perfect escape from such a painful life, trapped inside a monstrous body destined for death anyway.

Then he noticed something. Either this room had a very high ceiling or he had shrunk back down to his original size before the hyper mutation problem first reared its ugly head all those years ago. Don looked at his hands and saw shorter stubby rounded nails instead of sharp long claws.

Anxiously, he looked at the rest of himself and saw he was indeed smaller and no longer a hulking monster. He opened his mouth and felt his teeth with his hands and tongue. Normal! All of it!

Due to the crashing of the machinery falling over, Carter, Sydney, and Rose came down to investigate. They couldn't believe their eyes at first, but Rose got over the surprise quickly to throw herself into Don's opening arms.

The force of her going into his arms caused him to swing her around in a happy circle before they tightened their embrace. Carter was flabbergasted, he couldn't speak at first. Sydney went over to give Don a hug as well.

"Wait a minute! How can you still alive, Donatello? The liquid crystal I injected into you made your vital signs go into the red. Sydney and I tried to save you, but you were pretty much gone." Carter paused to look the Turtle up and down.

"How did you die, come back to life, and shrink?" he asked with a relieved grin, not expecting an answer.

"My smaller, yet normal size must mean the crystal IS the real cure." Don continued on in a hushed voice. "Just like my dream said." he said softly more to himself. Rose heard him and placed a hand on his chest, resting her head down against his good shoulder.

She had always known Don to be tall, but now he was a tad shorter than she was. Not that she was complaining. She was beyond grateful that he was alive and well. And cured.

"I've got to get this cure to my brothers immediately. We haven't a moment to lose." Don said in a no-nonsense voice. Rose, Carter, and Sydney all agreed in unison to help him.

* * *

"Hold him down, Michelangelo!" Mona Lisa cried as she tried to administer a stronger dose of her pre-cure serum into Raphael, who was hyper-mutating suddenly.

"I got 'im, I got 'im!" Mikey said in a gruff tone as he struggled to keep his older brother down on the floor. Raph snarled and clawed the carpet wildly, trying to get free.

After she gave the red clad terrapin a powerful shot, Raph slowly stopped fighting and calmed down. Mikey helped Raph into a nearby chair and checked him over. Mona gave him a glass of water, a troubled expression upon her face.

When would this crazy series of nightmares end? Mona Lisa had Raph and Mikey in her safe house cabin in the woods given to her by Dan Pennington. Just in case both Turtles went savage, at least they wouldn't be snacking on citizens of New York right off.

Both were hyper-mutating twice a day, though now lately it was three. These flare-ups were unpredictable and sudden. One had to be ready at all times to give the Turtles the serum or else they would be lost, doomed to become mindless uncontrollable beasts.

"_**Ughh!**_ I sure hope Donnie gets us that cure real soon..." Raph grumbled as he drank the water then angrily tossed the plastic cup away in disgust. "I'm so sick of this hyper mutation sh-t!"

"I hears ya bro." Mikey agreed. He looked to Mona Lisa. "Maybe you'd better give me another shot there. You know, just in case." Mona nodded and the orange clad Turtle held out his arm.

"Where the h-ll IS Donnie anyways?" Raph growled, wiping his face with the towel Mona brought him earlier. "I can feel it; we don't have much time left here!"

"Raph, Leo's looking for Don." Mikey replied quickly.

"I know! He's been looking for weeks and STILL there's no sign of him!" Raph shot back angrily. He feared the worst has happened to Don and that he was gone forever. And there would be no real cure made afterall. No Donnie, no cure!

"What if something's happened to him?! What if Hun and his whackbag punks figured out Donnie's a spy and bashed his skull in?! What if he's laying out in a ditch somewhere and we're doomed to become hideous monsters with no hope or future?! I tells ya I ain't sittin' 'round here no more! I'm gonna find 'im!" Raph shouted hoarsely and got up to head for the front door.

Mona Lisa tried to stop him, but he plowed past her, ignoring her protests. Mikey hurried to grab Raph as he opened the door. Raph threw his little brother off with ease and flung the door open with a bang.

Mikey recovered and tackled Raph to the stone covered pathway. They began to scuffle; yelling and screaming while Mona shouted at Raph to stop it. When she got a good kick to Raph's thigh, he punched Mikey away and got into her face.

"I'VE GOTTA FIND DONNIE, MONA! JUST LET ME!!" he roared angrily. She promptly slapped him, 'snapping' him out of his blind rage. Breathing hard, Raph held his cheek and squeezed his eyes shut as his usually bottled up sentiments were shown in the form of trickling tears.

"I've gotta find Donnie... I've got to..." Raph said in a pitiful whimper as he sank to his knees. Mikey was stunned as he hardly saw his big rough and tough older brother cry like this. He felt his eyes water too.

He knew how Raph felt about Don. They all did. It was the same whenever any of them were separated. They were a brotherhood that needed to know where the other was at all times otherwise they would go mad from the detachment.

Mona Lisa bent down and placed her hands on Raph's cheeks, making him look at her. He avoided her pretty green eyes as he pulled away roughly and nearly punch-swiped the tears from his amber colored eyes.

"Donatello's not dead." Mona said reassuringly. Mikey was encouraged by her words and repeated them. He wanted to believe what she was saying so much that he didn't want to believe anything else.

"Don's fine, Raph." Mikey bent down next to Raph, putting a hand on his shoulder. Raph shoved him off and stood quickly, heading for a nearby tree to kick and punch several times.

"You'll see. He'll come back with the cure and everything will be great." Mikey went to Raph and his older brother gave him a testy glare before he stormed back into the cabin. Mikey sighed, shaking his head.

The orange clad Turtle looked to the skies and the millions of shining stars. One of them had to be Splinter, watching over them. With his hands clasped together, Mikey did a quick prayer out loud.

"Master Splinter?" Mikey waited a bit before going on. "Please, bring Don back to us. We really need him. I promise to be a better Turtle if you can bring Don back to us safe and sound. I'll stop teasing Raph and disappointing Leo. I'll help Don with his boring lab work even! Just let him come back so he can cure us. Thank you, Father."

**To Be Continued in Chapter 44! **I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (****Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!****) Current events/ In the next chapter(s): Will Don get the cure to his brothers in time? What of Casey and April's problems? Can Leo solve them or only make things worse?**

**The Turtles are out of time to find a real cure to their dire hyper mutation problem. Will Don get the crystal cure to his brothers in time? The battle royale with Kano is approaching! Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time. ^_^**


	44. Don Captured Tortured & Betrayed

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.44

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, and Karai, also Rose, Hun, and Slash.**

**Sorry for the late updates before. I had severe carpal tunnel syndrome in both my hands since the beginning of the year which prevented me from writing and drawing. I've been feeling somewhat better so I can resume writing and drawing.**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Don was eternally grateful for Carter and Sydney's help. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't have the crystal cure. Now, he had to get home fast, but Rose wanted him to rest first. Unfortunately resting was not an option. He had to get back to New York immediately to save his brothers before it was too late.

Although Carter offered the use of his phone, Don opted to use a pay phone instead. Calling the Purple Dragons for transportation on Carter's phone would only invite new problems for his friend.

Don knew he should call his brothers first, but he doubted any of them could convince Karai to bring a helicopter to pick him and Rose up. He didn't want to ask any favors of that ninja witch anyway. The helicopter he 'borrowed' from Stockman those many years ago was in such bad shape, he dared not ask his brothers to fly it to get him.

He listened to the phone ring several times before a gruff voice answered. "Yeah?" The Turtle recognized the voice to be Two-Ton's. Why was he answering Hun's private office phone?

"Two-Ton, it's me. I need to speak to Hun." Don said and stunned silence hit him. Then suddenly, Two-Ton began to swear every curse word in the book at him first before he asked him where he had been.

"You as-hole! Where the h-ll have you been?! Where were you all this f-cking time?!" Two-Ton yelled, a booming sound was heard when he slammed his fist to Hun's desk.

"I was kidnapped, alright? I need a jet to pick me up in Nevada." Don explained, getting annoyed. "What are you doing in Hun's office? Where is he?" Hun never let others answer his personal phone afterall.

"He's been captured by Karai, stupid! If you'd been around, you would have known! You need a ride, then walk back!" Two-Ton was in a bad mood since his little sister Sandra was dying. Karai's men had seen her walking down the street and gunned her down since she was Hun's niece.

"Hey, don't forget what rank you're in, Two-Ton! I don't tak-" Don tried to say when Two-Ton angrily snapped back at him of what happened to Sandra. Don was shocked and grew angry as well. What was wrong with Karai?!

Sandra was an innocent civilian. She had no real ties to the Purple Dragons other than being related to Hun and Two-Ton. This stupid gang war nonsense had to stop!

Knowing Don could get Hun back and punish Karai and her men to extremes, Two-Ton's anger towards Don dispersed and he eventually promised to send some sort of fast transportation right away.

Hanging up the phone, Don paused as he contemplated whether or not he should call his brethren. They most likely were worried sick about him, but he didn't feel up to hearing Leo scolding him endlessly.

Don wanted to get the cure to them right away, but if Sandra's life was on the line, he had to make sure Hun saw her just in case she did die. During the time Don mingled with the Purple Dragons, he got to see a side not many saw in Hun.

He cared deeply for his niece as if she was his own daughter. That reminded Don of how Splinter was to him and his brothers. Hun was actually human when he was around his niece and Don decided he deserved to see her.

Explaining this to Rose on the jet Two-Ton sent wasn't easy, but she tried to understand. Hun, in her eyes, was a ruthless brute without a speck of compassion in him. Yet, Don was telling her different. She had to see this for herself, but her beloved told her she had better not.

Don didn't want Hun knowing that Rose, one of Karai's scientists, was his lover. Hun would use Rose against Don if he didn't obey every little thing Hun wanted.

So far, Don was getting away with being disobedient due to the fact that Hun valued Don's skill of killing so highly. The best hitmen in Hun's contacts couldn't compare to the absolute bone-crushing power Don possessed. And he was one of the weaker ones too! That certainly said something about the Turtles in a whole of their natural terrapin strength.

"Take the cure to my brothers, Rose." Don said, handing her three small vials of the glowing light purple liquid crystal. "I have to make sure Sandra pulls through. You know how to administer it. Do Mikey first. I don't think he was taking any of the serum I gave him before."

"Are you sure breaking Hun out of Karai's fortress is worth it, my love?" Rose asked, taking the vials sadly. She hated to have him rushing off into danger like that, but she knew why. It was something she had to get used to being in love with a warrior.

"It's the only way. Hun deserves to see his niece. Sandra's the only one I've seen him be kind and...normal to. It makes you believe that anyone can change, even Hun. I don't need to report to Karai for anything. She already hates me and I could care less. I'm not working for her besides." Don growled bitterly.

"You're not working for Hun either... But then who do you work for, Don? I know you're not one of them truly, but whose side are you really on?" Rose asked, seeing Karai as a more safer employer than any.

"I'm on the side of good, Rose. You know that." Don sounded a bit insulted, his dark brown eyes sad. An uncomfortable silence followed. Don had a bad feeling that Rose felt he was more on Hun's side since he was speaking so kindly of him.

She sure was hinted such and it bothered Don. What would his brothers think? Raph knew he was still on their side, but if any of them saw him busting Hun out, would that make them think differently? It certainly made him look bad, that was for sure.

'They just don't understand...' Don thought, closing his eyes as he tried to rest during the somewhat long trip home. He had a lot to do when he got back. A lot to do.

* * *

Leo looked at the small sack of sleeping powder in his hand before closing his fist around it. He didn't want to do this to Karai, but he had no choice. She would never agree to giving Hun up to the proper authorities, especially when she thought she was the only real authority in the city.

He stuck the sack into his belt and went down the lengthy hallway to Karai's private quarters. He swallowed hard at the large double doors, then knocked politely. She would know it was him by that special knock.

"Come in." Karai's voice sounded cold and mean as usual. He entered silently. She watched him approach, noticing an odd troubled look in his light brown eyes.

"What is it, Leonardo?" she asked, sensing something was wrong, but she did not know what. "What do you want?" She was busy looking through new strategies she drew up. She was trying to pick the best ones when Leo arrived.

"Oh, nothing much..." Leo said strangely, unable to hide his guilt of what he was about to do. He took a deep quiet breath and forced himself to be less conspicuous. He went behind her to give her his usual hugs.

When she didn't throw him off instantly, he knew he could do what he had to. He nuzzled her while sliding his hands over her shoulders and arms lovingly. He gave her neck a kiss that told her that he was in the mood, but she pushed his beak away.

"Not now, Leonardo. I'm much too busy to cater to your lust." she groaned, moving away with the strategy papers. Leo bit his lower lip nervously. He couldn't drug her until he had her distracted with some deep passion.

If he suggested they drink something, she would get it herself and he'd have no chance to slip in the sleeping powder. If she was dazed on the couch after several rounds with him, she wouldn't feel like getting the drinks then. He could and drug her, then get Hun out to hand over to Casey.

He wouldn't have much time to do so though. It would take the sleeping powder a while to work and even more time to get Karai in a 'passion trance'. He had to try again.

"Leonardo! You _dare_?!" Karai cried out when Leo grabbed her from behind and put her on the couch. She slapped his face a couple of times, but he didn't obey, which infuriated her.

"Yes, I do dare, Karai." Leo said in a strong authoritative tone, yet he was smiling handsomely. She couldn't help, but find that smile alluring and laid numbly under him as he worked up her appeal for him.

After plenty of releases, Karai was appearing to be transfixed by the pleasure. At last, she was submerged deeply in the passion, fully in the mood and wanting more. Leo decided now was the time to get those drinks. Kissing her once more, he let her know he was getting them something cold to drink to cool down with.

She merely nodded with her eyes closed, feeling good and content. Leo left the couch in a rush. He retrieved the sleeping powder from his belt which he had cleverly thrown off towards the fridge.

Karai's secret quarters were like a spacious apartment without walls for the kitchen and bedroom areas, so Leo had to be careful when putting in the powder. Karai could lift her head and see if she wanted to. Thankfully, she was relishing in the aftermath of their love-making that she just laid there happily.

He poured the sleeping powder into her fruit juice and added a splash of rum, clinking the glasses on purpose so she would know and when he stirred it, Karai would think it was to mix in the rum. He returned and nuzzled her before sitting beside her. She sat up on the couch and drank. Leo refilled his love's glass with more rum when it was empty.

Soon enough she became a little drunk and sleepy. She actually enjoyed this and found it beneficial. Feeling uptight and worried all the time was wearing on her nerves badly. It was such a blessing to feel this good...

Leo cuddled her to himself, massaging her tenderly, somehow creating an even more soporific effect on her. When she was fast asleep, he kissed her passionately then nuzzled her again.

"Please don't be angry with me." he whispered in her hair as he ran his fingers over her bare skin. "I have to do this..."

Leo put a warm blanket over her naked body and strapped his belt back on with his katana blades. He left quickly to the dungeons and discovered Hun missing!

Alarmed and confused, Leo stood there, unable to think straight. How did that behemoth get out? Who let him out? Now what? Then, Leo heard voices. They were faint, but he tracked them to a secret passageway.

There was no way Hun knew of such a well hidden hallway. Leo recognized the other voice, but didn't want to acknowledge it. But he had to. It was Don...and he was helping Hun escape!

And the way they talked to each other... It was like they were close friends or something!!!

Stabbing betrayal gnawed at Leo's heart and soul, making him rash and angry. He stealthily got in front of them before they could make a run for it in the streets. In a small alleyway, Leo leapt in their way to freedom.

"_Oh, no.._!" Don squeaked, unable to believe how rotten his luck was. Why did Leo always have to see him doing things like this? Things that made him look bad? First it was the dancing in the strip club, now saving Hun.

The purple clad Turtle feared what Leo may be thinking now. But he knew what it was. He probably thought he was a real traitor for sure. How could he get him to understand and not believe what his eyes were showing him?

"What?" Hun asked, not seeing Leo at first until the enraged Turtle kicked him down on his back. "_**ARRUGH!!**_" Hun cried out in pain as he slammed to the trash littered asphalt.

"Leo, stop it! You don't understand!" Don shouted, stopping Leo from slicing Hun into permanent submission.

"Like shell I don't! You _let_ Hun escape! You're **HELPING** him!! **_You TRAITOR!!!_**" Leo growled venomously, swiping his hand out and slapping Don's beak hard. Tears welled up in the purple clad Turtle's eyes as he recoiled from the hit, covering his hurting muzzle. He didn't have much time to overcome the pain as Leo attacked again.

"Leo, no! Please, stop and listen to me!" Don begged, blocking Leo's slashing blades with a long bamboo stick Sydney gave him. His original bo staff was still at Bishop's base somewhere. Hun finally got up and tried to squash Leo with his beefy mitts, but the blue masked terrapin warrior was ready for him.

He mule-kicked Hun into a dumpster, making the huge goon stay down longer, so he could deal personally with his traitorous little brother. How dare his brother do this to him?! To ALL of them?!! He would PAY!

He was so angry that he didn't even really notice how much smaller Don was than before. All Leo kept thinking about was how to punish his 'evil' brother.

"_**Listen**_?!" Leo shrieked as he knocked the bamboo stick out of Don's hands and tackled him to the ground, tossing his blades at his sides so he could clutch Don by the shoulders. "Listen to _what_?! **More** of your **_lies_**?!"

Don couldn't risk having Hun hear him tell Leo that he wasn't a traitor, so he just let it seem like he was. Hun was the key to getting at the extremely elusive Kano.

Don had to get Hun to Sandra. Two-Ton told him she wasn't doing too good even though the bullets were removed. She was slipping away and fast.

Don could tell Sandra saw Hun as a father figure as her real father had run off when she was a baby. Everyone deserved to enjoy a father, so Don knew what he had to do.

"Think what you want, but I can't have you delay me any longer!" Don roared back and kneed Leo hard in the tail. Overwhelmed by the blinding pain, Leo dropped onto his side and curled up, hands to his throbbing tail.

'I'm so sorry, Leo...' Don thought as he helped Hun to his feet and left Leo to his agony. As he laid in torment, Leo fumed with no forgiveness in his heart for Don then. He wanted to _kill_ him...

* * *

"How is she?" Don asked Hun. It had been three hours since they fled Karai's fortress. They were in a secret location where Purple Dragon family members were treated if they were attacked.

They didn't trust hospitals to keep their relatives safe, so they made their own medical facility. The security there was armed with machine guns and plasma rifles.

"After seeing me, I think she's going to fight it and live." Hun said, showing an extremely rare display of humanity.

"Thanks for getting me to her in time, Donatello. I don't know what I would do if Sandra couldn't make it." he added gratefully, meaning it.

Sandra was the reason why Hun went on fighting the mob and Karai's men and whoever else dared to challenge him. He wanted to win the city for her and where she could walk freely in it.

"Sandra didn't deserve to get gunned down like that." Don said, tightening his fist. Hun nodded solemnly. "I'll find out exactly who did it and have them eliminated."

"Stopping this war would have prevented this all together..." Don began, but his pacifist ways were trampled on immediately by Hun's loud harsh disagreement.

"Master Kano will have his way with this city and that's that!" Hun growled, pointing a beefy finger to Don's beak. "Keep your idiotic peace loving sh-t to yourself! We're in this to win, not make d-mned flowery friends, got it? This is the real world, not some happy pansy fantasy land you want it to be!"

Don angrily looked away as he seethed inside. There was the usual Hun again. Grade A jerk-hole to the max. And why did there have to be war? Things could be so much easier if everyone just got along! All this senseless killing of the innocent made the purple clad terrapin very upset.

"Hmph! I can't believe a superb killing machine has such a d-mned weak pacifist living inside." Hun muttered before he went back to stay by Sandra's side. "Don't forget to report back to my office in the morning. I have a lot of jobs for you to do."

Don trembled with anger as he headed outside to the rooftops. For the next two hours he fought to calm himself and thought plenty of who he was.

True, he was an activist for peace, yet he was a warrior who killed and killed well. He thought back to when Splinter was alive and how all his life since he was a hatchling, his master taught him how to defend and, unintentionally, kill.

Splinter did not want them to become solely killers or killers at all, but defenders for justice. Unfortunately, the only way to really stop evil was to kill those who supported it and that fact weighed heavily on Don. He tried to escape his ninja training, but Splinter was not one to be denied.

Silently, Don suffered as he pretended to like being a ninja. Well, he did in some ways, but the killing part he did not. What scared him was when he did kill for the first time, he enjoyed the power it gave him and he developed a dark lust for it.

The darkness grew inside him and the bottled-up sadness, rage, and frustrations manifested into an uncontrollable vicious monster that made Don do terrible things. He covered his face with his right hand as he choked back a sob remembering how he nearly beat Splinter to death with his bare hands.

Splinter had a dream that Don would hurt him someday soon and took him to a temple to rid him of his demons. Don was very happy after that session.

He thought he was free of his hurt feelings of never being good enough at ninjutsu, always being weaker than his brothers, and being forced to be a ninja when he rather be a peace-maker. But he was wrong.

Being confronted by his master that he had been sneaking topside to do unspeakable acts made the dark monster in his soul resurface. And when he was forbidden to ever go above ground again, PLUS train harder, Don lost control and snapped. He began to hit Splinter with all his might, which were devastating blows to the aging rat.

Splinter took the pain so his son could teach himself a lesson here. When his adopted father's blood sprayed into his face and stained his hands, Don looked at his shaking bloody claws of destruction with horror, his pacifist roots took hold once more and finally destroyed the darkness festering within him.

With a loud agonizing screaming cry of revelation, Don collapsed to his knees, sobbing miserably. Splinter did his best to ignore the pain his son had inflicted on him and closed his arms around his boy, who never dared to stray into such evil darkness again.

'I was such a terrible person back then...' Don thought as he painfully recalled the lives he took for fun as a foolish youth wandering in the darkness of true evil. Killing just for the thrill of it. How sinful he used to be!

He looked up to the stars and blinked, clearing his vision as heavy tears streamed down the corners of his eyes. "Father...thank you so much for showing me how terrible I had become and set me right again. I'll be foreverly indebted to you. I love you...and I miss you so much..."

"What ridiculous sentiment." said a voice.

Don wiped his tears and turned to see Slash sharpening his katana blade on the stone rooftop edge. He held the metal to the moonlight and breathed steam on it. He rubbed the shiny alloy with a bit of cloth he carried in his belt.

"What are you doing here?" Don asked angrily, ticked off to have his private time with Splinter belittled so.

"What are YOU doing here? Talking to parents who are not there for you? Silly hatchling." Slash chided, putting his blade back into its sheathe on his spiky back.

"My Father always cared for me, Slash. You might not have had anyone care about you, but my Master Splinter loved me and my brothers deeply." Don growled, disliking this older terrapin mutant. Snappers, hmph! Grouchy, touchy jerks!

"Bebop cared about me, but only as a pet. I am so much more and I no longer need such silly sentiments." Slash said heartlessly. Don didn't like thinking about Bebop or his friend Rocksteady. They were humans made into animals and gave the Turtles a lot of trouble when Shredder 'employed' them. Well, 'used' was more the right word.

Bebop and Rocksteady went to Florida to start their own new gang there. Don was glad to see the last of them as they enjoyed choking the Turtles for fun whenever they could back in the days of old.

The Punk Frogs should be keeping Bebop and Rocksteady's antics under control as those two mutants were not hard to stop. Just annoying. Don wished his problems were as elementary as the Frogs'.

A shrill howl rose out of the darkness, causing Slash to peer out towards the sound. "I have you now my 'friend'." Slash hissed, placing a clawed foot on the rooftop's edge.

"What are you talking about?" Don inquired, one eye ridge raised and the other lowered in annoyance. Slash frowned at him.

"Rahzar. He has Tokka brainwashed into thinking he is the only friend for him. But I know the truth. He's merely using Tokka and controlling him as a slave. Mammals should not control our kind ever. I'm going to liberate Tokka from Rahzar's tyranny."

Don simply frowned at Slash and when the hatchling didn't reply, Slash went off into the night on his hunt for the wolf mutant. Rolling his eyes, Don's hands went down to adjust his belt and his fingers felt the familiar cylinder of rolled paper.

He pulled it out and stared at the 'back-up' cigarette, then sighed, tossing it away. 'I can't go back to smoking again...' Don thought, eyes closed. 'It's only ruining my lungs and killing me.'

Opening his eyes, he looked to where he threw the cigarette on the rooftop. 'No, I can't give in to those cravings anymore. The patches do help... Somewhat...' He tightened his fists and ran away from there as fast as he could.

Several blocks away, Don stopped to pause by a tall metal air vent so he could lean on it. He suddenly felt a presence, but before he could react, he was thrown a good distance from the air vent and slammed into the side of a doorway jutting up from the rooftop.

He didn't know how many guns were pointed at him, but there was no way he could escape without getting shot. Just then, Karai's face appeared and she reached down to grab him by the wrinkled folds surrounding his neck to pull him up.

"_Where_ is Kano?" she barked. "**Talk!**"

The move angered Don since she was grabbing him like an animal and he yanked her hands off of him. A savage punch to his muzzle made him fall hard onto his shell.

"L-Leo!" Don gasped as blood trickled from his chin.

"**Shut up, you traitor!**" Leo growled in his 'don't-mess-with-me-or-else-I-WILL-kill-you' voice. Don was shocked as it was rare to hear Leo talk in that tone, unless it was towards an enemy...

"Have him chained and taken to my dungeons." Karai said coolly, her face emotionless, except for the sneer on her lips. After Leo lost Hun to Don, he hobbled back to Karai to tell her that she had been right about Don all along.

Of course, he had to revive her with an antidote. She didn't even know she had been drugged and believed her drowsiness was caused by the rum. She immediately went on the hunt for Don.

They had spent hours in pursuit of the purple clad Turtle ever since. Finally after five hours, they located him and Death was going to spill the beans about Kano...or perish.

"Leo, no! No! _Please_, listen to me! I'm **_not_** a traitor, d-mmit! **I'm not!**" Don cried desperately. Leo flew down to Don on the ground and grabbed his shoulders tightly.

"**STOP IT WITH YOUR LIES, DO YOU HEAR ME?! I'M SICK OF YOUR GARBAGE!! I'M SICK OF YOU!!!**" Leo screamed, tears filling his eyes. Don stared, blown away with shock and sorrow by his hateful words.

"_I'm..not..a..traitor..._" Don breathed out as if he was about to vomit due to the stress, his words slow and his tone shivering with hurt emotion.

Leo's eyes looked like he wanted to believe him for a moment, as if he needed to hold onto that hope. But he couldn't forget what he had seen with those same eyes. Don had helped Hun escape. There was no way around that...

"...I... I...-" Leo pinched his tired eyes shut, the wrinkles around them made Don realize how old Leo looked then. He appeared much older than he really was. While wrinkles were a natural and even handsome thing for terrapins to have, they were not kind to Leo's facial features.

"Leonardo, get away from him! I will _**not**_ have you fooled again!" Karai's voice cut through the air like a katana through tender flesh.

Leo's eyes snapped open and he let go of his little brother in a manner that told Don he was in really big trouble here. The protection Don needed from Leo was a distant memory now.

Leo didn't believe him and he was fully under Karai's control. Again. Don bowed his head as he sobbed, but he didn't have much time to do so as he was roughly yanked to his feet and cruelly chained like a lowly animal.

He was stripped of his belt, weapons, and even his elbow and knee pads. A collar, while not the kind Chaplin had made, was around his neck and chained to the wall in a dirty cell in Karai's dungeon. He could not lie down, only sit in one cramped position and that was it. His feet and hands were bound painfully tight with thick chains.

Don cried and cried while he sat, unable to even wipe his tears or nose since his hands were tied down towards the floor. In misery, he wondered where Raph and Mikey were. He longed especially for Raph since he was certain Raph still believed in him. Mikey could help as well, but Raph got things done.

Begging Splinter for help seemed fruitless as Don wished he could just die. If Leo disowned him, he didn't want to live. He needed all his brothers in good standing with him otherwise life was meaningless.

The thought of Rose's love comforted him for a moment, until he recalled how she hinted she thought he might be not trustworthy for speaking nice things of Hun.

Did she really think he was one of Kano's men? The unsettling answer leaned towards yes. Nagging hunger gnawed at him, wearing away at his spirit even more.

He felt so alone. So very alone...

Still he prayed to Splinter for help since he could do nothing else. Then he closed his eyes to try and fall asleep.

* * *

Heavy commotion woke Don hours later, followed by screaming and shooting of guns. He listened carefully and then light filtered into the dungeon when Raph kicked down the door.

"Raph!" Don cried, but he walked past his cell and totally ignored him. Confused and heartbroken, Don called his name again and again. Still, Raph kept walking away and then he disappeared.

Jolting out of a deep sleep, Don came to realize it was only a dream. Raph hadn't come afterall. Hopelessness made Don want to cry again, but he had no more tears left to provide any relief.

Staring at the electrified bars, Don almost wished he had his hyper mutation disease again. It would aid him in getting out of there and 'accidentally' eating Karai would really make Don happy.

Although he knew he could pull his neck free from the wall, he would pinch off his hands and feet if he did. So he sat still, thinking of what may come next.

He had already tried to figure out ways to escape as soon as he was chained there, but all methods had the same problem. He would lose his hands and feet if he tried to get away.

Just then, the door to the upper levels opened and Karai appeared. She seemed to be by herself. She held in her hand a taser and opened his cell door, deactivating the electrified bars. She had a vicious scowl upon her face while her eyes burned with animosity.

"Start talking of where Kano is hiding or else I will use 50,000 volts to make you..." she threatened, grabbing his face and squeezing his muzzle. He twisted his mouth free of her cold mean hand.

"I'm not a traitor..." Don snarled, his anger rising quickly. "And stop grabbing me like an animal! It's so degrading...!"

"I degrade any traitor, Turtle." Karai shot back. "You're lucky I haven't killed you...yet."

"I TOLD you I'm NOT a traitor! I'm trying to find out where Kano is hiding by PRETENDING to be one of THEM! WHY won't you get it?! This war won't end until we find Kano and I'm trying to help you!" Don told her.

"How were you helping me by letting Hun escape? Answer that, Donatello! Or should I say Death?" Karai sneered. Don gave her a look of surprise then. She knew he was Death? Oh boy...

"And what about my men you slaughtered, hm? Were you helping me then? Were you?!" she added in a loud voice, then slapped his face with the taser's hard case. All her rage flowed out of that hit. And the next hit. And the next.

As he struggled to get away from her blows, he loosened the chain to the wall attached to the collar bit by bit. Her last hit freed his neck from the wall, but she did not care. Blood dripped not only from Don's battered face and head, but his wrists and ankles as well. She breathed hard from her efforts to hurt him. Then she made sure to justify her abusive actions.

"I beat all my men who dare disobey me..." Karai finally said. "If you had been loyal, you would not be here."

"I'm..not..one..of..your..SLAVES!!!" Don said in an anger-shaking voice, roaring out the last word viciously. His head hurt badly, but at least now he could lower it and not have it in that painful upright position.

"Then you admit you ARE a traitor, correct?" Karai hissed. Don gave up talking to the witch and closed his eyes as he grit his teeth. Feeling as if she had the right to, Karai turned on the taser and shocked poor Don long and hard.

His screams fell on deaf ears as she shocked him once more. He HAD to pay dearly for being disloyal. There was no other option. He must be made an example of those who dared to betray her...

"Now tell me where Kano lurks! Where is he? TELL ME!!!" she yelled, wanting to beat him more. How dare he play her for a fool when she truly wanted to be his friend? He must _suffer_!

"_**I DON'T KNOW!!!**_" Don finally cried out when Karai didn't stop shocking him several more times in short intervals. He could barely stand this torture. Talking did no good. Silence did no good. What could he do to make her go away?

"You do..." Karai was not one bit merciful. She believed Don to be evil and a liar, a trickster making her to be the fool in this warfare. He killed her men on purpose because he worked for Hun and Kano. He definitely knew where Kano was. He was one of THEM!

"I want that information _**now**_!" she roared, opting to smack him with the loose chain from his collar this time. Don was being pushed further and further to the point where he knew he had to do something to make her stop and leave.

So he bit her. First he got her forearm, sinking the tip of his hard sharp beak in. She yanked free, receiving only one long jagged scrape that made her hiss in pain. When she went to slap him for that, he caught her left hand in his beak and crunched down in full fury.

He could feel her bones breaking between his jaws as he pushed his teeth and beak tip with even more force. Instantly, Karai screamed as she tugged to get her hand free.

She punched and whacked his head frantically with her other hand, but he kept his jaws tightly shut. He didn't release his biting force until she kneed him in the chest as she clawed at his eyes. Then he let go, blood spilling down his chin.

With her crushed hand bleeding profusely, she gave him a shocked and venomous glare. Don returned the hateful stare as he spat out her blood to the dirty floor. One short look to her hand alarmed her terribly. She didn't say another word and left quickly.

He wanted to chase after her and attack her further for torturing him. AND brainwashing Leo AGAIN! When Karai bolted away, so did he.

At least, he tried to pursue her until the chains yanked him back down. The urge to pay her back for harming him like this was powerful. He wanted to keep biting her until she was finally dead and out of all their lives forever.

Bowing his aching throbbing head, Don saw a blessed sight on the filthy dusty floor. When he had bitten Karai, her keys dropped to the ground and in her haste to mend her broken hand, she didn't realize that the keys had fallen.

Eagerly, he picked up the keys with his toes and tried to maneuver one after another to the lock holding the chains on him. After much struggling, the right key was put in and the clicking sound of the lock opening sent much joy through the abused terrapin.

He tugged the blasted chains away from him and discovered another blessing. Karai didn't close the door when she left. He left the horrid place through the same hidden passageway he used to help Hun get out.

Once outside, Don raced to the Lair, fearing Rose may be in danger. He made it back home without any trouble, but worry seeped into him when he found it empty.

There was a note on the refrigerator and he snatched it off to read the message. It was from Rose saying she went back to her apartment since there was no one in the Lair.

Don wondered if Rose had been calling him on his cel phone while he was captured. What if Karai planned to harm her as well? In a haste, Don washed the crusty dried blood from himself and got his spare bo staff. He tied a new belt around his waist and shell, tucking the bo behind him.

He grabbed one of his junky old cel phones that he had been tinkering around with from his room and used it to call Rose. When she didn't answer, Don felt sick with impending doom.

Although he was drained from Karai's abuse and blood loss, Don pushed himself harder and faster towards Rose's apartment to hopefully save her.

When he was only a rooftop away across the street, he could see into her bedroom. Happy that she was fine, Don rushed over to her balcony. But he froze when he heard what she was saying on the phone.

"Yes, of course, Mistress Karai." Rose said, trying to convince her boss that she was still a loyal minion. "Yes, yes. I truly do promise to tell you if Donatello comes here. I'd never betray you, Mistress. Yes, he certainly deserves to be punished for ruining your hand."

Rose didn't plan on telling Karai if she knew where Don was, but she had to play it safe and trick her into thinking so. Karai had told everyone in her organization what Don had done to her hand and she wanted him captured so she could crush both of his hands, then kill him.

Don grit his teeth as he listened to Rose 'kiss-up' to Karai. He knew she was loyal to Karai, but THAT loyal? Would she really turn him in to that ninja witch?

He waited until she got off the phone before he confronted her. She had her balcony glass doors open so he could follow her into the bedroom. Rose was walking to the hallway that led downstairs.

He shut the doors hard, making her turn around quickly. She was frightened at first, dropping her phone in shock. Then she realized it was Don and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Don! It's you. I-" Rose let out a squeak of surprise when her lover snatched the phone from the carpet and held it to her face.

"What are you waiting for? Call Karai and report me, d-mmit!" he snarled, then flung it at the wall. Rose jumped as the phone hit the wall, cracking from the impact.

"Donatello! What's wrong with you? I'd never-" Rose tried to say as she stepped into the hallway. Don didn't let her finish.

"I HEARD what you were saying to Karai just moments ago! Don't lie!" Don roared, slamming the side of his fist to the wall in the narrow hallway.

"Now, Don, please calm down. You know I'd never turn you in to Karai. I love you." she said, reaching out to him.

The tone of caring in her voice seemed genuine, so Don forced himself to mellow out and allowed her to touch his face. He was too tired not to believe her anyway and just let it go.

Rose was able to notice the massive bruises and many cuts on him then as she came closer. "What _happened_ to you?" she asked with much worried concern. Don struggled to keep his rage down so he could explain.

"Karai captured me last night and **_tortured_** the shell out of me! She beat me... She electrocuted me! She had me chained up in a way so I'd be constantly in pain, d-mmit! I couldn't take it anymore so I bit her, ok?! Now she wants me dead worse than before!" Don collapsed to the stairs and covered his face, shaking.

Rose went down to hug him as he cried pitifully. "Shh, I'm here..." she said softly, stroking his shoulders and head. "I have no intentions on reporting you to Karai, Don. Don't worry..."

After a long while, Don was able to regain his composure thanks to Rose's comforting. She helped him to her couch downstairs and tended to his wounds. She fed him shortly after and she never had seen him eat so quickly.

"You still have the cure, correct?" Don asked once he finished. She nodded. "Of course. But your brothers were not at your home. Where could they be? There's not much time left, I'm afraid."

"I'll find them." Don pulled out his old cel phone and dialed Raph's number. He prayed that he was of sound mind to speak to...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 45! **I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!) Current events/ In the next chapter(s): Will Don escape Karai's wrath and convince her (AND Leo) that he's not a traitor? Will he be able to get the cure to his brothers in time or is he already too late?**

**The battle royale with Kano is approaching! Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time. ^_^**


	45. Kano Appears & Angel's Dilemma, 2nd Last

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.45

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, Mikey, Raph, and Karai, also Mona Lisa, Angel, and Rose, plus Kano.**

**This is the 2nd last chapter of DoTT (Ch. 46 is the grand finale)! But this is not the end of the entire story! Don't miss out on DoTT's sequel titled Meptiles, coming soon! I'm finishing this saga since it's getting too large and may overwhelm new readers who are short on time. The next saga will tie up loose ends from DoTT, making for a fun read on the real life issues the Turtles face everyday.**

What to expect in Meptiles? The birth of Raph and Mona Lisa's son, Raphie Jr., what happens to Mikey and Angel's baby, Assassin's return aka Bishop's revenge, Karai's deception by using Don so she can give birth & tell Leo the child is his own, Cleo's murder, Casey's homicide, May's odd fondness for Don, Shadow's (Casey's adopted daughter) appearance, Leatherhead's lover Venus who is in hiding, Mikey teaching Don how to become an artist which backfires, Jotaro's return home, and so much more!

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story and Meptiles, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT & Meptiles! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Mikey covered his head with a pillow as he rolled over in bed. He was in a room across the hall from the master bedroom Raph and Mona Lisa used. He scowled when he heard Mona let out a long excited sighing giggle.

They were at it again! Almost every evening, Raph and Mona Lisa were messing around with each other making loud stupid noises. It was driving Mikey crazy!

In annoyance and growing lust, Mikey went downstairs to get away from Mona's happy squeals and Raph's ugly grunts as they fooled around in bed.

Mikey flopped down on the couch in the living room and turned the TV on, cranking up the sound to block out his older brother and his girlfriend. He channel surfed until he found one of his favorite adult TV shows called The Big BB's. Of course the 'BB's stood for 'Breasted Babes'.

He happily drooled at the overly large breasted ladies in skimpy wear as they talked about sexual topics and nonsense usually discussed in tabloids.

Of course, none of them had natural breasts, all fakers that had massive surgeries done to enhance their bust size. No girl THAT ridiculously 'toothpick' skinny had breasts that big for real. Mikey's naughty tail could care less either way as he stupidly watched and lost more brain cells in lustful joy.

After relieving the built-up tension in his tail, Mikey raided Mona's fridge and ate whatever he pleased. Though trying out baking soda wasn't worth it, Mikey soon discovered that they were getting low on food. Again.

"Hey, butt-ugly stinking brother of mine up there f-cking all night looooong!" Mikey sang-called up the steps to get Raph's attention. The playful giggling and peeping stopped. Raph got out of bed to reply.

"Yeah, what, you sh-tty as-hole wipe?" Raph yelled back out, opening the bedroom door just enough to poke his head out of. Little brothers! **_Ugh!_**

"We're outta chow! I'm going to town to do some shoppin'!" Mikey yelled back, pulling on a hat and trenchcoat. He just had a fresh injection of Mona's pre-cure an hour before, so he should be ok.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't hurry back, shell-for-brains!" Raph slammed the door and hurried back to bed so Mona could continue servicing him.

"Now where were we?" Raph asked in a special loving frisky voice he only had for Mona Lisa. She smiled and got back into position as he laid back down upon the queen sized mattress.

Peeping happily, Raph closed his eyes as Mona worked on him. Then the accursed cel phone on the dresser beside the bed rang. Cursing up a storm, Raph snatched the phone to mouth off the idiot who dared to call during his pleasure time.

Assuming it was Mikey calling to tell him that he locked himself out of the truck again, Raph answered the phone angrily. "I _**ain't**_ bustin' your silly a-s out of this mess again, you d-mn fag!" he yelled hatefully.

"**_What?_** Raph? Is that you? _What_ are you talking about?" Don asked, confused. Raph's heart almost skipped a beat as he instantly forgot about his lust and focused on the cel phone instead.

"Donnie?! Donnie, I can't believe it! You're ok! Shell, where the h-ll have you been?! What happened, man?" Raph cried. Mona understood how important this was and waited, watching her lover intently.

"It's a long story. Look, I've got to hide for a while. Karai and Leo are after me, especially Karai." Don said tiredly. Raph could hear how beat he sounded and offered to get him on his motorcycle.

"I'll come get you, Donnie. Where are you?" he asked, taking Mona's hand into his as she sat next to him.

"No, I can't wait for you to come get me. I've tracked your signal, I'll come to you. I'm bringing Rose with me. It's not safe for her here in the city. Karai's really on the warpath." Don explained what had happened to him. Raph promised to keep an eye out for him. Don hung up his cel phone and adjusted the helmet on his head.

He was glad he had recently fixed up his old motorcycle with the attached passenger cart weeks before. Its paint job was still that nice shade of purple he liked too. He checked on Rose, making sure she was strapped in safely and had her helmet on.

"Ready?" he asked, adjusting her helmet too, making sure it was on good and tight.

"I most certainly am." she answered with a smile. Don returned that smile with a grin of his own. "Alright, let's go."

Traveling out to Mona Lisa's safehouse cabin buried in the woods took a good hour or so to get there even though Don was driving very fast. Finding the cabin was no easy task once Don's tracker went dead a few moments before he located the general area where the cabin was supposed to be within the thick forest.

Being lost in the woods was definitely no fun at night. The pitch blackness of the dark could not be penetrated by Don's headlight on the bike suddenly, but that wasn't the only thing that bothered the purple clad terrapin.

Odd. He always could see in the dark regardless. Seeing no details in the surrounding inky darkness made the Turtle slow down and eventually stop the motorcycle. He sensed great evil lurking then, heading their way fast.

"What sort of strange dense fog is this?" Rose asked, thinking it was the weather.

"It's not fog... It's something...else..." Don said, sniffing constantly. He couldn't pin-point where the threat was coming from exactly, but it was definitely coming.

Unnerved and worried for Rose's safety, Don decided to drive the bike slowly through the trees to just get away from that dreaded area that kept giving him a terrible sense of doom.

But before he could begin to start the bike, a figure suddenly appeared before them. The light on his bike seemed to go through him at first, but as the figure walked closer, he was solid.

"Help me, please!" the man cried, collapsing at Turtle's feet. Don and Rose exchanged shocked looks. Don went down to help the man up when a sharp pain shot through his forearm where the man grabbed him for support.

Shrugging off the 'needle-poke' stabbing sensation, Don helped the guy up, letting him lean on him.

"Thank you, Death. I am so glad to have found you..." the man said, who seemed ill at first, then was getting better suddenly. How weird!

"I, um..." Don didn't know if it was ok to let the man know he was Death. Who was this person?

"Do not worry. I know who you are. Soon to be my best ranking elite assassin." the man praised. "I am Kano Saki."

Rose gasped loudly as she instantly felt frightful. Oh no, not **_HIM!_**

Surely, Kano would have her locked up and tortured since she was one of Karai's workers. She wasn't sure how Don could persuade him not to without appearing disloyal.

"**_You're_** Kano Saki?" Don asked, surprised. "I've been trying to get an audience with you for months!" He paused before adding 'respectfully'. "...Sir..."

"No need for the formalities, Death. I've been watching you and you've proven yourself most worthy. I want you as my right-hand man immediately. You need not trouble yourself with Karai. She can no longer touch you. I guarantee it..." Kano said strangely as if he knew a lot more than he was saying.

"I appreciate the protection, but I need to ask you some things." Don had to find out for Mikey' sake. "Why did you kill your own sister, Kameko? She was no threat-"

"**SILENCE!!!** There will be NO talk of the past!" Kano bellowed, pushing Don away and standing on his own just fine. He quickly resumed being friendly by patting Don's shoulder.

"Come. I want you to see where all my best warriors stay. You too, young lady." Kano gave her a wide toothy grin that scared her to death. It was like how a fox would look at a rabbit at dinner time.

"She doesn't need to get entangled in this. I thought you only wanted me." Don didn't want Rose being dragged into any of this. If Karai learned of it, Rose would be blacklisted and instantly on her hitman's list. Kano had a scowl on his face instantly.

"She must attend or she will be killed right here and now." the tyrant threatened.

"Then, I want her under my care at all times." Don said, stifling his anger.

"Do what you will with her, but she can not return to the city. If she goes back to Karai, then you will be the one to kill her. Understand?" Kano was walking through a batch of knee-high unforgiving thorn bushes and expected them to follow.

"Yes, I do." Don replied, hating this. He had to get to Mona Lisa's cabin and get the cure to his brothers. But how could he now under Kano's direct watch? He had no choice, but to leave his bike, and mission, there.

Rose looked at Don in terrible fright, shaking. Her lover held her close as they walked side by side, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. What a huge problem this was!

Silently the three reached Kano's hidden camp. It was surrounded by painful reddish-brown thorn bushes which about twenty feet tall, all curled at the top to form a ceiling with a circular opening at the middle.

It appeared to have been made by Kano himself with black magic. The only other opening was the entrance and exit in the wall to the North. There would be no easy escape from this place.

Don noticed Kano's men eyeing him and Rose strangely. They looked at Don with much worry and fear, but to Rose, they appeared interested. Noticing such made Don's blood boil. A familiar slight stretching feeling in his gut shocked him.

No... No, no, _**no**_! That _couldn't_ be what he thought it may be, could it? The crystals cured him. Didn't they?

Kano showed Don to his special quarters which was grand and spacious. Rose numbly stood close to her lover, knowing any second something bad would happen.

"Rest for now, my dear sweet Death. You will be summoned when you are needed." He gave Rose an eerie smile before he left. Don slammed a duffel bag that held his belongings on the king sized bed in a rage.

"**_D-mn it!_**" he swore before sitting on the bed in defeat, covering his face with his hands. It was like he was captured all over again! Worse of all, Rose was mixed up in this now. Curse it all!

"Don, what will we do?" Rose whispered, sitting next to him. He instantly put an arm around her and hugged her close to him in a protective manner.

"I don't know just yet. But, I'll think of something." Don promised, already trying to come up with a plan on to get out of this camp with Rose alive.

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Mikey had taken his older brother's truck and headed out onto a trail to a nearby town that had a local grocery store. He loaded up on the essentials, such as junk food, candy, and lots of sweetsy cola. And of course, thick slabs of raw beef.

He was amazed to bump into Angel in that store, but she seemed too busy shopping to talk to him. Once outside, he caught her trying to take off on a motorcycle. Why was she trying to get away so badly? He flung his stuff into the truck and ran up to her.

"Hey, Angel! Wait up! What's the rush, dudette?" Mikey asked, becoming very interested in her. They hadn't seen each other much after she left from Mona's place some time ago. The hyper mutation issue must have scared her off. Mikey couldn't blame her for wanting to go. But he had no idea what the real reason was.

"Leave me alone! Just go _away_!" Angel shot back, trying to start the bike. He stopped her and gripped her arm tightly.

"I'm not letting go until you tell me why you're acting like this!" he said seriously, sensing something was majorly wrong. Maybe she was in trouble again and needed his help. He had to find out.

"We can't be seen together, ok?!" Angel couldn't hold back her tears as she swiped at her eyes angrily. "Just buzz the h-ll off! Take a d-mned hike or sumthin'!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mikey was super confused. "I'm in disguise; no one will know it's me. What's the big deal if we're seen together anyway?"

"Forget it... Just forget it!" Angel let out an upset sob and turned her head away. She was waiting for Kano to summon her and so she went to that store to kill some time.

She was lucky to get high-ranking duties from Kano suddenly, which she was thankful for since Hun was back. She hadn't been doing her duties there since she had been feeling sick lately.

She went to the clinic the Purple Dragons had exclusively for their gang members to find out why she was puking almost every morning. The doctor there told her she was pregnant and she wasn't happy to hear that.

She hadn't had any unprotected sex with anyone, except for Mikey. She knew who's fault this was and she was ticked off about it. Just when she got a life-saving promotion from Kano, she's weighed down by this new problem.

She glared at him, deciding to just inform him anyway. He might as well know that he just screwed up her life. "Alright, I'll tell you. I'm pregnant! And it's all your fault!"

"Wha-??!" Mikey nearly fell over hearing that. "You're...what??"

"You heard me." Angel said angrily, tears still leaking forth. If Kano found out she was carrying the enemy's baby, she would be slaughtered. She had to have this baby aborted for sure. Plus, she didn't want a baby besides. Too much hassle.

"But you told me you had your tubes tied!" Mikey cried, shocked. "Why did you lie to me?!"

"Yeah, well, I was going to abort the fetus anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter either way." Angel sniffled, trying to start her ride. Mikey stopped her.

"It matters to _me_!" Mikey cried getting angry. "You _can't_ kill the baby! **_MY_** baby! H-ll, I would have never known if I didn't run into you today! Shell, you were just going to off our baby without telling me anything?! Angel, why??"

"What kind of life will this baby have..?" Angel shot back, her lip trembling. "You being the daddy, the enemy of my new boss..."

"New boss?" Mikey asked, perplexed.

Angel shakily took in air as she continued in a more tough tone. "Look, I work directly for Kano now! I can't have this messing up my life! I don't WANT to be a mother! I can't do it, Mike! I won't!"

"So, you're just going to kill the baby, just like that?" Mikey asked, crestfallen. Angel got off of the motorcycle and pushed at his plastron, trying to shove him away.

"Kano will have _**me**_ off'ed, if he finds out! And he **will**, _d-mn you_!" Angel cried, pushing him away again, slamming her fists against his chest.

"No, he won't..." Mikey said seriously. "I'll help you through this. I won't let anything happen to you...or the baby."

Angel held her palm to her forehead as she tried not to go into hysterics. If she didn't abort the baby, she'd be so dead once the kid was out and about. It surely would look like a Turtle, then Kano would instantly know that Angel had been mingling with the enemy and be eliminated. She had to abort the kid, but Mikey didn't want her to. What to do?

"I feel so lost, Mike." she finally said, letting him enclose his arms around her. "I just don't want all this trouble."

"Angel, whatever you do, don't abort our child. I'll take care of him or her, ok?" Mikey said softly. Angel squeezed her eyes shut tightly and bit her lower lip.

He just _didn't_ understand. She would soon be on Kano's hit list if she didn't abort. He somehow knew what all his minions were doing by reading their minds or something. It sure seemed like it at least.

That one guy named Yotto was found out the same day Angel got promoted. She saw it all. Kano brought everyone in the meeting circle in the thorn camp and put Yotto on the spot by asking him if he had a relationship with one of Karai's female spies.

Yotto denied it, but somehow Kano had video proof which he presented in front of all. Yotto was seen kissing and hugging Karai's spy. Angel watched in horror as Yotto was gutted right there and then without mercy by Kano's slashing katana blades.

She feared what her fate would be when Kano learned of her relationship with Mikey. What she was doing was much MUCH worse compared to what Yotto had done. She definitely had to please Kano or be destroyed.

Kano easily could find out that Angel was pregnant since she had used the Purple Dragons' personal clinic. There was no privacy laws amongst members. It would only be a matter of time when Kano became wise to Angel's condition with or without any records. She would start showing in a few months, but not if she aborted before she became bigger.

Not having the enemy's baby would be a step in the right direction in Kano's eyes, maybe she'll be forgiven and spared. It was the only last ditch effort she had left to escape Kano's inevitable wrath. She had to obey or else. It didn't matter what Mikey thought. He couldn't protect her like he believed he could.

"It's my choice, Mike. I don't want this baby and I'm going to get an abortion." she said firmly, pulling free of his thick muscular green arms.

"_**HEY**_, I have a say in this too, Angel..." Mikey said in a testy tone. "It's not just your baby, it's mine too. I've always been for Pro-Life and I want that baby to live! Not be butchered from your womb piece by piece before he or she is all sucked out and tossed away like garbage! You could die too when they're operating on you!"

"I'll definitely be _killed_ if I **don't** do it! And besides, you _can't_ tell me what to do! I'm Pro-Choice all the way!" Angel snapped back.

"Pro-Death you mean!" Mikey growled. "The opposite of life is death, Angel! Why the h-ll do they call it 'Choice' is absolute bullsh-t! Those cowards don't want to admit they are killing lives, that's what the h-ll it is!"

How could Angel want to get rid of a precious life that was made from both of them? He never knew she was like this and it stabbed his heart hard. He always wanted children, but here was Angel, dead set against having bundles of joy. He couldn't understand why some people were like this. It brought out quick emotion in him.

Mikey slammed his fist to his chest a couple of times and hollered as hot tears burned his eyes, "I admit what I am! Yes, I kill; yes I'm a bloody murderer, but I sure h-ll NEVER kill children, EVER! To kill such young life, it pains me! It hurts my soul, Angel! I have honor, unlike those you follow Angel!"

"You'll be allowing the murder of an innocent life; a life you and I made! How can you want to destroy something like that?! Something so beautiful and wonderful?! Why?! **_WHY?!_** Give him or her a chance, godd-mmit!!"

"Just shut up! _Shut **UP**_! This whole mess is _YOUR_ fault!" Angel breathed hard as she shook with anger.

"**I'll fix it, d-mmit! Just _LET_ me!**" Mikey shot back, gritting his teeth. Angel looked away in angry tears, turning her back on him. She wiped her eyes and seethed in terrible emotion. Mikey's expression softened a few moments later when he heard her sobbing hard. She tried to keep her weeping as silent as possible, but it was not easy.

"I'll do everything to make sure you won't get killed by Kano." Mikey said then in a gentler voice. "And I'll care for the baby. You don't have to take up the responsibility. I'll make sure Kano never finds out that you had a baby with me. Please...don't abort our baby..." Mikey tried to take her into his arms, but she backed away.

She really didn't like those Pro-Life supporters, but she had no idea Mikey was one, let alone one that viciously headstrong. She never wanted children and even if she did, Kano would have her killed for having one with the enemy. She was so screwed.

"I...I have to think about it..." Angel said, giving in since she still loved Mikey and didn't want him angry with her. Her new job just made things harder for her to see him and she couldn't imagine how Mikey could help her now.

If Kano wasn't in the picture, Angel would still abort the baby, yet Mikey did offer to care for the baby, so she was stuck on the fence on that one.

She was slightly leaning more on having the baby and letting Mikey take full responsibility just to shut him up. She had a feeling he'd probably wouldn't leave her alone on the subject if she aborted.

What if...? What if Mikey snapped and killed her instead for aborting the baby? She felt like she was already marked with a bullseye, ready for the casket.

"All my life, I wanted to have kids. It's a happy dream that my brothers and I wish to have someday..." Mikey told her solemnly. "Please...please don't take that dream away from me, Angel. I'm begging you. My dream's already half true."

He put his hand on her stomach and looked straight into her eyes, his beak inches away from her lips. "...Please, keep our baby alive..." he whispered before kissing her and wrapping his arms around her. In the moment, she was lost in the kiss and returning it before she realized Kano's spies could be recording this and pulled back fast.

"I-I gotta go. Duties." she said shakily, glancing back to his beautiful blue eyes. Why did they have to sparkle so alluringly like that? She instantly missed the passion they shared beforehand freely in the Lair.

"You know I love you." Mikey said handsomely, nuzzling her.

"I love you too, Mike." Angel dared to say it even if she was being spied on. She couldn't deny what she felt for him in her heart. She couldn't resist his second kiss, but ended it soon after.

Mikey reluctantly backed away so she could start the motorcycle and leave. He watched her go with a loud sigh and licked his mouth, trying to relive the taste of her. How he wished he could have at least had some fun with her, but now she was working for Kano and he had 24/7 surveillance on her.

Narrowing his eyes, Mikey grit his teeth. Curse that Kano! First he took Kameko away, now Angel! Mikey couldn't stand the rage boiling up inside of him suddenly. When that stretching started in his gut, he struggled to calm down right away.

"No... I can't hyper mutate, not here... Not now. Not ever, d-mmit!" Mikey groaned, holding his middle. 'Donnie, where are you?' he thought as he got into Raph's truck and started it.

When he got back to the cabin, Raph grabbed him and hugged him hard. Mikey shoved him off and frowned. "D-mn, what did I do?" he said disgustedly. Why was Raph so happy and trying to rub his stink all over him for?

"You chucklehead!" Raph hugged him again. "Donnie called! He's alright and he's coming over here now to give us the cure! We're gonna be ok, Mikey! We're gonna be ok!"

"_Really?_ **Alright!**" Mikey cried, jumping in the air for joy. The two brothers sat on the couch and waited eagerly for Don to arrive. But after the third hour went by, Raph sensed something was wrong.

"He should have been here by now." he growled, a sour look on his face. Mikey nodded, equally concerned. "Yeah, he would have found this place. You said he had a tracking thing-a-ma-jigger, right?"

"Yeah." Raph stood up fast, looking disturbed. "Something's happened to him. I'm going to find him." Then there was a knock on the door.

"That must be him!" Mikey cried, standing up and racing to the front of the house. Raph beat him to it and flung the door wide open.

"Donnie, what took you so long?" Raph inquired, only to see a super angry Leo instead.

"_Where is he?_" Leo asked in a trembling enraged voice. He stormed into the cabin as his little brothers backed out of his way. Leo began to rip open closet doors, searching for Don. "Alright, **_where_** in the shell are you hiding him??"

"Hiding who?" Mikey was confused. Why was Leo so mad?

"That traitorous brother of ours, Donatello!" Leo barked, tearing open another closet door and rummaging through in a sloppy haste.

"He _ain't_ no traitor, Leo! He has the cure for us, you idiot! He was coming here to give it to us!" Raph shot back, disgusted by Leo's unfair attitude towards Don.

"He's coming here? Fine then, I'll wait for him here." Leo dropped himself on the couch with a hideous expression of hatred on his face.

"Wait here and do what to him?" Raph asked testily. Leo stared up at his brother with disdain.

"He _**MUST**_ be _punished_ for what he's done..." Leo said darkly.

"Oh yeah? And what has he done, Leo?" Raph wished that he could get through to narrow-minded Leo for once. "He's trying to save us! We won't have to worry about hyper mutating any more! He has the cure!"

"He has to pay..." Leo grumbled, ignoring Raph completely. When he saw what Don had done to Karai's hand, he knew he had to be stopped. For good.

It was clear that Don was a traitor, but worst of all, he damaged Karai forever. A swordsman relies on the perfect function of his or her hands. And Don destroyed Karai's left hand.

Even with the best surgeries, her hand would never be the same. It was almost like Don had crippled her. No one was to harm Karai like that. Leo wanted avenge his lover terribly.

"Pay for **_what_**?" Raph asked, thoroughly disgusted.

"Don destroyed Karai's hand, Raph! He nearly bit her hand off! It's _completely_ crushed and ruined! All thanks to **HIM**!" Leo roared, shooting up from his sitting position and yelled in his little brother's face.

"Way to go, Donnie." Raph said, a half grin appearing on his face. Leo promptly slapped his beak and blew up.

"How _**DARE**_ you make fun like that?! This is _serious_! Karai won't be able to hold a sword in that hand anymore! He bit her arm too! He _severed_ nerves! She'll _never_ be the same!" Leo screamed, going nuts.

"Karai'll never be the same, huh? Sounds like an improvement..." Raph couldn't help but to keep taking shots at Karai like that. He was so pleased that Don finally bit the shell out of her. She needed it.

Soon after he finished speaking, Raph found himself on the floor fighting with Leo, who knocked him flat on his shell as he tackled him to the carpet. Mikey attempted to stop them, but failed miserably. He backed off and watched.

"**How can you be on his side?! He works for Hun and Kano, d-mn it! He's nothing, but a wicked filthy traitor!!!**" Leo shrieked as he viciously punched and whacked Raph.

"Donnie's on _OUR_ side, you moron!! How can _you_ give up on him?! I know why! You love that d-mned hussy more than all of us, that's what!!! _**Well, f-ck you!**_" Raph hollered back in his older brother's face, hitting back.

They tousled on the carpet for several minutes. Both could feel that stretching feeling in their guts, but ignored the warning signs and continued to fight hard like they often did. Biting was nothing new for either of them and as Raph sank his teeth into the area above Leo's collarbone, the blue clad Turtle bit his little brother on the same area as well.

Growling, each bit down even harder, drawing blood. Leo's eyes widened in disturbance when he felt Raph's tongue lapping his blood from the weeping wound as he kept on biting. He never tried eating his blood before like that. He only ate or drank blood from raw meat or hunting kills. Something was off here.

Shoving him away proved a difficult task, but Leo managed to get untangled from Raph and took a few steps away from him. He watched in disgusted horror as Raph mindlessly cleaned the blood from his claws and lips with his tongue.

"_**Errgh!**_ What the h-ll's _wrong_ with you?!" Leo cried, rubbing the bleeding wound near his neck.

"You wanna fight, I sure shell will give you one!" Raph growled, ready for several more rounds of brawling.

"You were drinking my blood, you insane vampire! That's **_sick_**!" Leo scowled, his attention diverted away from Don for the moment. "I-, I..."

Leo had to sit down on the couch as a wave of nausea hit him. Then, his guts were on fire shortly after. "I...don't feel so good..." he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Mona Lisa had arrived a few minutes towards the end of the fight and Mikey kept her afar so she wouldn't get hurt.

Now she was even more alarmed, figuring out quickly why Leo felt sick all of a sudden. "He's trying to hyper mutate! I'll be right back!" she said, rushing off to get her pre-cure serum.

Once she administered the serum to Leo and Raph, she gave more to Mikey just in case. Raph and Leo argued some more about Don's loyalty when Raph's cel phone rang. He answered it in a flash.

"Donnie?"

"...Raph, use this signal to find me. I know where Kano is now. Just take your cel to Karai and have her track the signal I've just sent now. Hurry." Don hung up, praying Kano wasn't wise to what he just did. Tucking his phone away, he prepared himself.

Once Karai arrived, there would be a big bloody battle and he had to be ready. It would take that witch at least an hour to get there, so purple clad Turtle could afford to take it easy for a while.

Rose was already in bed, but she wasn't sleeping. She was in constant fear that she would be killed at any time. They could dart her lover and then drag her away freely to be butchered.

When Don joined her, he slipped his arms around her and breathed in her scent. If he was killed in the upcoming battle, then he might as well get a bit of pleasure, just in case. With the door locked, it should be safe enough to proceed.

It was the best session Rose had experienced in a long time. But it was over too soon and she was faced with the same problem she had everytime her lover was about to fight. Would he come back alive?

Sure he had returned the times before, but there was always the possibility that he might not this time. She savored him once more, enjoying him as much as she could before the coming storm. Don had alerted his brothers and they would bring Karai.

And Karai would bring death with her as she marched her remaining troops to their doom. Rose wiped her eyes as tears filled them. Don paused in his love-making, worried that he was hurting her.

"Does it hurt? Do you want me to stop?" he asked, lifting himself a bit off her back. She returned his hands to her breasts and shook her head. Don resumed.

"No, I'm just afraid of what might happen..." she said softly.

"I'll do my best to come back. Don't worry." Don reassured her in between his peeping.

"If you don't... I don't know what I'll do..." Rose bit her lip. She never wanted to lose Don, but Karai was such a driven individual. Not much could stop her once she had vengeance on the brain.

"Then, let's try to make this night as memorable as we can... Alright?" Don breathed, kissing her neck. She nodded numbly, forcing herself to stop worrying and fully relish the delicious pleasure her beloved was giving her.

He held her down to the bed, keeping her close to himself as he sent his love into her with all his might. Again and again, sweet waves flooded them both. Don wished he could stay one with her even longer, but he had to rest.

They dozed in each other's arms. Don dreamed a very strange dream where Kano was begging for his help to save him from something that was controlling him. That something was evil since Don could sense such, but he couldn't see it. Where was it? How was it controlling Kano? None of it made sense.

A loud banging on the door woke the lovers up and Rose hurried to put her clothes back on. Don went to the door with a frown on his face. "Yes?"

"Open up, Death! We are under attack by Karai's men! She has found us! Get out here now!" said one of Kano's guards. Don told him that he'd be right there and went back to Rose.

"This is it." she said with much dread in her voice.

"Yeah, but don't worry about me. I don't die easily." Don watched Rose's face fall with sadness since the probability that he may not return would always still be there. He scooped her off the bed to hug and kiss her once more before he went.

How desperate her kisses were! And her hugs, they actually hurt! He smoothed back her reddish-blonde bangs back and gazed into her blue-green eyes, nuzzling her.

"I'll come back. I promise." Don told her, hoping that his words would provide some comfort. He wanted her to keep a level head, not be a nervous wreck. He turned away and left out of the room, making sure Rose locked it as he went out.

The guard had been waiting a few yards away in the hallway, holding a wicked-looking jagged spear. He gave it to Don and saluted him of all things, then ran off in a hurry to battle. Don didn't need him to show him where the fighting was, he could hear it loud and clear.

Don went into the fray, injuring more than directly killing. He kept on trying to save those who were about to be killed, no matter which side they were on. Too much was going on for anyone to realize what Don was doing and Kano was nowhere in sight to witness Don's odd behavior in battle.

Ten minutes of the madness of murder was endless to poor pacifist Don. He searched for his brothers, but through the thick seething sea of battling humans, he couldn't locate them.

Just then, a laser blast nicked his shoulder. He jerked away to see Chaplin, infuriated and beyond ready to kill. Aw, shell!

"**Where is my sister, you filthy monstrous beast?!**" he snarled, changing the format of the laser inside his weapon to make it a laser sword instead. He swiped at Don in a wild fury.

"Hey, **wait!** I _want_ you to take her away from this place!" Don tried to tell him, but Chaplin wasn't listening. He had to kill this animal which stole his sister's normal mind away and ruined Karai's hand forever. And he would, even if he had to die doing it.

"You **_WILL_** _pay_ for hurting Karai, you _disgusting_ animal!" Chaplin cried, slashing away. He nearly got to Don's heart when another blade swept up and sent Chaplin's laser weapon flying.

"He is mine to kill, Chaplin! Do not forget your place!"

"Yes, Mistress." Chaplin reluctantly backed down and retrieved his weapon. She ordered him to go and make sure that she and Don were not disturbed. Instantly, she began to attack him, slashing and whacking with one katana blade held by her right hand.

Don blocked her attacks, but it wasn't overly easy. She managed to get in several hits here and there. Don jabbed back and got her as well. Both were bleeding by the time they took a short break to catch their breath.

"You disgust me." she told him, spitting. "None of my men had acted as traitorous as you have, Donatello." She took a moment to touch her heavily bandaged left hand and arm. "D-mn you."

"D-mn me? D-mn _**ME**_? H-ll, what about _YOU_? You were beating the shell out of me for info I didn't even have! You tortured me! You wouldn't stop hurting me so I HAD to bite you in that excessive manner! You caused it to happen! So d-mn you, b-tch!" Don swore back, the urge to tackle her to the ground and finish her off was growing stronger.

"Filthy wretched beast! It is **YOU** who _will_ die tonight! And you will die **_painfully_**..." she hissed, taking on a ninja stance and waving her sword around in fancy movements.

Again, he blocked her attacks as they both exchanged verbal slurs of extreme hatred at each other. When Karai got behind him, she jumped onto his shoulders and held her blade against his throat, pulling upwards with all her strength.

Getting choked and cut at the same time, Don lost it and let his rage take control of his body. He ripped her off his back and slammed her to the bloody ground, causing her to flail and cry out in pain.

Don stamped his right foot onto her neck and stepped down, while standing on her chest with the other. The weight of his muscular body was crushing Karai fast. She gurgled for air, squealing in agony.

She clawed at his foot and leg, trying to lift it from her neck, but it was no use. Don angrily kept his feet planted down on her, his teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

Being a terrapin abused by a human always equaled retaliation. Don was not going to stop getting back at Karai for mercilessly torturing him mentally and physically. The solution to this issue was to have her finally killed.

But he couldn't understand why it was so hard to get rid of her. He just had to dispose of her now. He just had to end this, once and for all! Nothing would ease his hatred of her, except her demise.

A hard shove knocked Don off balance and he fell into the thorn bushes surrounding the area. He tried to get up, but was pushed back into the thorns. Leo's enraged features filled Don's vision then.

"L-Leo!" Don stammered, shocked. He let out a cry of throe as Leo forced his face into the sharp thorns. He didn't even care when he was getting stabbed too. He just kept on scrubbing his little brother's beak into the nasty bramble.

"How dare you hurt Karai again!?!" Leo screamed, going postal. "**How _dare_ you?! _How dare you?!!_**"

A blast of dark energy threw Leo off and he landed a few yards away, knocking over a crowd of feuding soldiers of both sides down. Kano drew back his hand and 'rescued' Don from the sharp thistle spikes.

"Why aren't you destroying them, Death?!" Kano roared, scolding him. "I've seen you kill before, now go do it!" He used his black magic to gather up Karai, Leo, Chaplin, and even Raph and Mikey out of the swarm of battling troops.

He placed them in the middle, blasting others out of the way, killing them instantly. Both his men and Karai's men were done away with as Kano did this and his prized enemies were neatly trapped together. Now his elite assassin could do his job with more ease.

"Kill them." Kano ordered as if he was asking for a burger and fries. When Don didn't instantly attack, Kano went ahead himself. He started off by torturing them all at once by squeezing them with his magic. They screamed in distress, sending the purple clad Turtle into action.

"**_NO!_ Stop it!**" Don cried, leaping at Kano and sending him to the ground. He tried to stab Kano's throat with his spear then. Leo saw this with shocked eyes and a stunned heart. Donnie...really wasn't a traitor..?

"**WHAT?!** You _DARE_ to attack ME?!" Kano bellowed, turning his dark magic on Don then. He slammed the Turtle about, smashing him into brick structures and stone pillars until Don finally went limp.

"Nooo! Donnie! _**No!!**_" Raph yelled, fighting to get out of the invisible force shield around him, but he couldn't.

"Don! Noo, oh man, no! Donnie!" Mikey cried, blinking back tears as he punched at the magical shield in vain with Raph.

Feeling his loving sentiment for Don return to him, Leo began to scream out his protests as well, even louder than his other brothers. He pounded the shield with his fists and kicked at it crazily. He just had to make amends with Don.

If Don died thinking his older brother hated him, Leo knew he wouldn't be able to go on. He'd be so guilty. He felt as if HE was the real traitor now. A traitor to the real love their brotherhood had. Tears streamed down the blue clad Turtle's cheeks as he bellowed out for Don.

When Chaplin approved of the merciless beating Don received, Leo savagely punched Chaplin's face so hard and fast that he was instantly knocked out from the hit. Raph and Mikey were in full agreement. That was one way to silence a jerk!

Kano finally dropped Don into the trapped circle of his prized enemies and the demon within him watched in evil glee at the pain he caused. Leo sobbed as he gathered poor 'rag-doll' bleeding Don into arms and hugged him, begging him not to die.

"Ohh, Donnie! **_Please_** come back to me!!" Leo roar-cried as he rocked with his little brother in his arms. "Pleeease, come back to us! I'm SO **sorry**! I was wrong! D-mn it, I was so _**WRONG!**_"

"I told you he wasn't a traitor, Leo! I **_TOLD_** you!!! If he dies, it'll be _YOUR_ fault, d-mmit!!" Raph yelled as tears streamed down his cheeks as well. "I'll **_never_** forgive you if he dies!! H-ll, I'll kill **_you_** if Donnie dies! I swear I will!"

"And **_YOU_**!" Raph glared at Karai hatefully. "This is all **_YOUR_** fault too! D-mn f-cking b-tch! You f-cked us up real good this time, you stupid witch! I'll definitely kill you if Donnie bites the dust! You hear me, b-tch?! Huh?! Do you?!!"

"We are all going to be killed now." That was all Karai had to say and was silent. Mikey stared at Leo hugging Don as he cried too, his vision blurry with heavy tears. He was so numbed from all the turmoil and devastated emotions that he couldn't speak anymore.

Kano laughed evilly before he jerked his hand sideways and all his prize enemies were unconscious in an instant. He knew what to do with them, especially the Turtles...

**To Be Continued in Chapter 46! **I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!) Current events/ In the next FINAL chapter: The ultimate dragon battle royale with Kano is about to happen! (Please note, the last chapter is a bit more on the mature/dark side.) Don't miss it or DoTT's sequel, Meptiles!**

**Keep reading to find out more on the story! Until next time. ^_^**


	46. Battle Royale with True Evil

Destruction of Turtle Trust Ch.46

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All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.  
Main Characters Featured in this Chapter: Don, Leo, Mikey, Raph, Splinter, and Karai, also Mona Lisa, Angel, and Rose, plus Kano and the red meteorite demon.**

**This is the _last_ chapter of DoTT! But this is not the end of the entire story! Don't miss out on DoTT's sequel titled Meptiles, coming very soon! I'm finishing this DoTT saga since it's getting too large and may overwhelm new readers who are short on time. The next saga will tie up loose ends from DoTT, making for a fun read on the real life issues the Turtles face everyday.**

**What to expect in Meptiles? The birth of Raph and Mona Lisa's son, Raphie Jr., what happens to Mikey and Angel's baby, Assassin's return aka Bishop's revenge, Karai's deception by using Don so she can give birth & tell Leo the child is his own, Cleo's murder, Casey's homicide, May's odd fondness for Don, Shadow's (Casey's adopted daughter) appearance, Leatherhead's lover Venus who is in hiding, Mikey teaching Don how to become an artist which backfires, Jotaro's return home, and so much more!**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story and Meptiles, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT & Meptiles! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

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**Destruction of Turtle Trust**

Leo slowly opened his eyes later to discover that he was strapped to a stone wall somewhere. Thick wet red meaty tentacle-like ropes held him there, suspending him a few feet off the ground. He could see that the meaty ropes were moving. They were alive! **_Gross!_**

He was stripped of his weapons and belt that held his shurikens. A moan made him look to his left.

Karai! She was strapped to the wall too, also stripped of everything, even her clothes. He felt violated even though it was Karai who was naked. He didn't want anyone seeing his beloved's bare body, that was something only for him to see.

Leo felt so much rage that he couldn't stand it. Kano did this! He did this all to them! As if on cue, Kano appeared, grinning wickedly.

"Kano, you monster! How **_dare_** you! I know you want Karai out of the way, but don't humiliate her like _this_! She's your _sister_, you d-mned bastard!" Leo cursed, wishing he could get free and beat Kano into a painful end.

"_She is **no** sister of mine!_"

Leo's eyes widened with shocked surprise and a twinge fear. That horrible evil voice! That wasn't Kano's voice... That was the red meteorite demon beast Leo defeated when he was a teenager! Well, he thought he had defeated that evil thing back then.

"_I have returned again to offer you power and wealth._" the demon said, red tentacles appearing out of Kano's sides. They stroked Leo's face and neck, caressing in a way to charm him and bring forth his dark desires to rule the world.

In all alpha males, this desire was natural and strong. The red demon believed that it could use Leo's natural desires to control him in the end, feeding him petty promises to keep him spellbound.

"_I will give you the world..._" the evil thing said, its tentacles sliding down Leo's plastron to his tail. "_All you have to do is accept my offer..._"

"**_Uggh_**..." Leo groaned, hating how good this all felt. Although he was being transgressed upon, the pleasure was just too overwhelming to resist. He was about to say yes to anything then.

A series of sudden painful squeaks made Leo look to his right and he saw Don strapped to the other wall close by and the tentacle-like ropes were raping him.

Don appeared to be under a spell where he couldn't wake up to protest or fight this horrible violation. The sight made Leo wake up from the evil physical and spiritual defiling.

"**NO!** _Never!_ I will **_never_** accept **ANY** of your filthy offers, demon!" Leo screamed, struggling against the meaty ropes. The demon snarled like a tiger and withdrew the tentacles quickly.

"_Very well, foolish mortal._" the demon said, then made Kano snap his fingers. The meaty ropes released Don and he fell to the stone floor. Kano clawed his hand downward at the Turtle. Don began to scream in agony as he transformed into his third stage of hyper mutation.

"_Donnie!_ **No!** Leave him _alone_, you disgusting monster!" Leo cried, still struggling. He had to help Don! With shocked eyes, he watched Don crawl over on all fours to Kano, who petted him as if he were a dog.

"You will accept my offer or else I will transform each of your brothers to their final savage stages and set them loose in the city. They will be gunned down by the humans, I assure you. But you can stop all this by simply accepting my offer..." the demon spoke through Kano's mouth, using the man's voice now.

"Give up my soul, you mean!" Leo snapped back, growling. "I will _**NEVER**_ give you my soul!"

"Very well then. Your brothers will pay the price first. Then so will you in time." the demon taunted, then made Kano go over to Karai to kiss her in a disgusting manner. Leo roared in rage, agonizing stretching sensations ripping at his insides.

"You will hyper mutate soon enough. I will make you. And _**she**_ will be your first meal! **Muhahaha!**" And with that, the demon left. Leo struggled to stay sane as he fought against the meaty ropes binding him to the wall.

Finally, Karai woke up and was not pleased to find herself naked. "He will _suffer_ for humiliating me! **Curse him**!" she hissed hatefully. Naturally, both resolved to get free and stop all this.

But after a long time, neither could get loose. The meaty ropes seemed to know what they were up to and held them down even tighter.

"We are finished. We must make peace with our ancestors now before it is too late." she said sadly. But Leo wouldn't give up. He wasn't going to let Kano, no, that horrible demon win like this.

"_**No!**_ We are _never_ finished! There's one chance. I have to summon my avatar. I bet I can get free then." Leo said, hopefully. Karai looked doubtful. She knew all about his training with the Ninja Tribunal and of his dragon avatar transformation.

"You don't have an amulet. How can you transform without it?" she asked, the demon's negative magic wearing heavily upon her. It was making her pessimistic. "It won't work, my love."

"Yes it will! I **WILL** _make_ it **happen**!" Leo said through clenched teeth, then concentrated hard. He pinched his eyes shut and meditated in the way he had back then as a teen to bring out his inner strength and his true reptilian roots.

But trying for almost half an hour and getting no results severely discouraged Leo. Karai bowed her head as she said, "I told you it would not work. We are doomed."

Leo squeezed his eyes shut in defeat. 'Maybe she's right...' he thought sadly, feeling very tired. Giving in would be easier...

_'NO, my son! Never give up!'_

"Father..?" Leo gasped out loud, but his eyes were still closed. He could 'see' Splinter and in a few moments, he could even feel him in his mind. Splinter hugged his son tightly, then pulled away. His form changed and he was human again as Hamato Yoshi.

He had his hands cupped and opened them to reveal a celestial amulet. It was not the kind the Ninja Tribunal had given Leo, but a special holy one from Splinter. He placed the necklace around Leo's neck spiritually and hugged him once more.

_'Transform my son. You now have my strength and blessings.'_

A brilliant flash of white glowing light blinded Karai as Leo's body changed and the meaty ropes were ripped apart. She shut her eyes and only opened them once the light was gone to see a huge metallic blue and golden dragon staring at her.

"Leonardo?" she asked, feeling very small. Was he of sound mind as a dragon creature? Leo nuzzled her with the tip of his nose, his breath sent her hair flying. He was that big and powerful. For once, Karai felt meek, but the feeling passed quickly.

"Free me, Leonardo! Hurry!" she ordered, trusting him to help and not eat her.

Using his teeth, he carefully snipped the meaty ropes off of Karai and lowered his head so she could mount his long neck. His scales were kind to her bare flesh as she rode him out of that horrible dungeon cell.

They explored the general area, looking for their weapons. Soon, Leo sensed where they were hidden and smashed down the iron door that stood in the way. Inside the small room was his katana blades, his brothers' weapons, plus Karai's belongings as well.

As she angrily dressed herself, Karai's thirst for vengeance was choking her dry of any mercy for Kano and his men. Leo had told her back in the cell that Kano was not to blame and that a demon was controlling him.

She saw that as no excuse for Kano, who was a vicious adopted sibling ever since she had the displeasure of knowing him. He had always been cruel beforehand and it was his own fault that he had been possessed.

What did he expect was going to happen if he practiced dark sorcery so recklessly with the arrogant attitude that he had? He dabbled carelessly and what Karai had been warning him may happen eventually did. She had washed her hands of him years ago.

She tried to ignore him the best she could before, but he was the one who provoked this war against her and she had every intentions of finishing it once and for all.

Karai wanted Kano to pay dearly for humiliating her. She would never forgive him or any of this followers for this mortification; this, this desecration!

She would destroy Kano with her own hands, er, hand. No one would be allowed to vanquish him, but her. As she spoke her plans of retaliation to Leo, he feared she would be killed instead and created a new plan of his own.

He was sure he could telepathically tell her that her safety was more important than getting revenge, but he had a feeling she would not agree. So he would give her no choice, but to accept his plan. He knew what to do.

Karai, unaware of Leo's plans, securely tied the weapons to Leo's neck like a strange necklace and mounted behind his horned head. "Go, Leonardo! I must crush Kano utterly! Find him! Now!" she ordered, thinking they were about to go on a hunt for their common enemy.

They encountered many guards as Leo searched for the way out while Karai believed they were looking for Kano. Many fled in terror from Leo's fiery breath, filling Karai with much joy and a sense of incredible power. She lovingly stroked his scales and kissed the back of his head to praise him.

Even though he couldn't verbally speak in this form, she knew how he felt by his body language and his delighted purring growls. She wondered if he could transform into this state more often. It was extremely useful against their enemies.

"That is it, Leonardo! Burn them all! Make them suffer for daring to trifle with us!" Karai yelled, getting a pleasing sense of fulfillment from Leo's assault on Kano's guards.

She praised him once more, reaching out far to scratch behind one of his horns near his right ear. He always liked that when she did it to him as a Turtle and he still liked it as a dragon-Turtle.

Leo let out a happy shrieking roar of pleasure, frightening away a fresh set of approaching soldiers into fleeing immediately.

When he couldn't find an exit, Leo made one by slamming himself against a wall once they were on the upper levels. It broke away to show a starry sky. He jumped into the air and began to fly off, flapping his sword-like metal wings.

"Yes, my love. I can sense Kano is not here. He must be hiding like the cowardly worm that he is. But no matter where he is now, I WILL find and destroy him!" Karai cried as Leo flew through the night air.

The wind was bitterly cold, but Leo's warm body helped, so Karai could enjoy this travel somewhat. Soon, she would have her revenge at long last!

Leo knew he had better drop Karai off at her home and stop the red meteorite demon before she could find the evil being herself. He was certain she would be killed if she battled that monster. He had to make sure she was safe first before ending this war with that demon.

Karai buried her face into his smooth firm neck and smiled ear to ear. What raw power Leonardo was! She relished in it, pressing herself to him and clutching his scales with her one good hand so she wouldn't fall off.

With his heart captured and bound only to her, she possessed the same power he had as a dragon creature. He would always protect her and in this form, no one could threaten her again. It was a great feeling to have, almost like getting a new katana, its blade sharp and deadly.

Back at the Foot skyscraper, she was bewildered at first, then angry, thinking Kano had infiltrated her home. But it didn't take her long to realize what was going on then. Leo was trying to leave without her!

"Leonardo! Return _here_ at **once**!" she yelled, growing explosively angry at Leo then. "You dare _**NOT**_ leave me behind! This battle is **_mine_** and **mine** alone! I will **NOT** be denied my revenge, do you _hear_ me? _Leonardo!_ **LEONARDO!**"

'I can't let you be killed. Please understand.'

A saddened expression took over Leo's face as he turned and jumped off her large balcony. Whether or not Karai heard his telepathic message, he just couldn't take her with him. He had to find the demon with his brothers, not her. It simply was too dangerous.

Karai would never listen to reason of that. She wanted to make Kano pay, no matter what the cost, but it was the demon inside that man who was to blame really.

There was no way Karai could defeat a demon. She had tried before when Leo was a teen and she was nearly killed by the tengu Shredder. Leo wouldn't allow such a risk to befall Karai again.

He was certain that he'd be flying for hours before he spotted anything beneficial to his hunt. But it was almost immediately when he saw chaos below. People were screaming and running for their lives in the streets downtown.

A police car went soaring into the air and crashed into an office building at the third floor. A familiar roar could be heard. Don! Leo swooped down and snatched his hyper mutated brother with his talons. He flew off with him while the police kept on shooting.

Leo tossed Don down on a big enough rooftop to land on and cried out in pain as Don jumped onto his face, biting and clawing. He swiped him off and roared at him. Don roared back, bloody spittle spraying out.

Then Don saw Splinter's spirit appear before Leo's long dragon face and while his brain couldn't understand his words, his heart did and he too changed in a glowing white light. His legs became one and his hands grew more clawed digits that were webbed.

Fins appeared on his now streamlined gray violet body and his muzzle grew long and thin. Wiry horns grew out of his shell and forehead. He looked very much like a water dragon with purple and green scales and a shell.

He laid-sat on his new long fish-like tail near Leo and the blue golden dragon nuzzled his little brother. Everything was ok between them now. He knew that he wasn't a traitor at all and sealed it with a long loving lick.

The two brothers purr-growled with affection as they rubbed their muzzles against each other. Leo licked Don over and over in happiness. He was so happy that he was alive and in dragon form as well.

Don licked back, but settled more on hugging Leo with his arms. Sadly, their sweet brotherly love moment was cut short when their keen ears picked up more mayhem down on the streets below.

As 'Kano' promised, Raph and Mikey were hyper mutated. Together they were butchering people like wild mindless animals. Leo flew down to pick up Raph and Don did the same with Mikey.

Don held Raph and Mikey in place as Leo looked at them head on while Splinter's spirit appeared again and spoke to them. They too transformed, their savage forms melting away to elegant dragon bodies.

Raph's legs became two long tails trimmed with white spikes and sai shaped horns grew on top of his clawed hands. Spiked bony wings emerged from his shell. He was a beautiful red, white, and green spiky dragon with fiery breath to match.

Mikey was an orange and green Earthy dragon with strange thick stubby claws. His shell was filled with handsome designs as were his brothers'. Although Mikey and Don had no wings, they could fly regardless.

Even though they could not talk, they could spiritually communicate with one another. They could sense Leo telling them that they were one, now and forever. And that they would finish off the demon living inside of Kano, the demon they encountered before as teens.

Raph snarled in eager anticipation as he clawed the air. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth into that monster and destroy him for good. Mikey also waved his claws up and down as he roared, wanting to kill as well. He had a score to settle after all.

Leo held his arms out and gathered his three brothers into his embrace, nuzzling and licking each of them. Before they were to battle, he had to hug and kiss them first just in case the worst happened. They nuzzled him back and Mikey went all out by licking Leo's face many many times in joyous love.

Then with a single mind, they took off to where Kano had imprisoned them with the meaty ropes, starting their hunt there. But once they arrived, they sensed Kano wasn't there any longer. The hunt continued and they split up.

Don remembered Rose and quickly flew to the thorn fortress to save her. Flying was a joy, but he couldn't focus on that. He had to rescue his beloved.

He found her wandering around the gore left there. She finally had summoned enough courage to leave her locked room to see what had happened. She was crying, believing Don was somewhere in all that carnage.

When he landed near her, she screamed and scurried away, trying to get back to that room. Don quickly flew in her way and laid on his tail, holding his torso up with his arms. He lowered his head down to her.

Rose backed up and tripped, falling over on her side. She shivered with fear, not understanding that this was her lover here to take her away to safety. He opened his jaws and ran his long forked tongue over her.

She let out a loud frightened yelp, thinking that she was going to be eaten. Don moved his right hand to her face, using his index claw's bent joint to move her face to see him, so he could 'kiss' her by touching the front of his stiff beak to her face. He did it in a manner that she should recognize easily.

Figuring out that she wasn't going to be eaten, Rose slowly began to understand that she was not in danger, and then she knew who it was by looking into his eyes. No other had eyes like his. She tried hard to find her voice, but her throat was so dry.

"D-Donatello..?" she whispered. His excessive licking seemed to be his way of saying yes it was him. She giggled, pushing his muzzle away. "Stop, I'm getting wet!"

Then, his claw closed around her body, which alarmed her at first, but she calmed down quickly. This was Don, (somehow), he wouldn't hurt her. He flew off with her, taking her back to her apartment complex. He landed on the rooftop and gently touched his nose to her body.

She hugged his long face like how one would hug a horse's muzzle and stroked his soft purple scales. "You're so beautiful, Don." she said gently, scraping her nails over his armored flesh. He seemed to like that and purr-growled.

He grabbed her up again and held her to the area above his plastron, pressing her against him in a tender hug. His other claw caressed her hair. She kissed his pretty scales with her arms out on him as far as she could stretch them, hugging him.

Don set Rose down eventually and gave her several more long gooey licks of love. She laughed and danced around, actually enjoying it. He blew air on her, in a vague attempt to dry her, then raised up on his tail to roar with happiness. He started to float up, leaving to help his brothers find the red demon lurking within Kano.

"Thank you, Don! I love you!" Rose cried, blowing kisses to him as he went. His delighted roaring rumbled across the clouds like thunder. The sound filled her with deep awe and excited glee.

A year or so before, she didn't think much or care for animals, but now, she absolutely loved them. While she knew Don started out as an animal, his spirit and heart were very human and he would always be that to her, no matter what form he was in. She was glad he had been mutated, otherwise she would still be very ignorant of animals and their feelings.

"Thank you, Donatello. Thank you so much for everything..." she said softly, then headed to the door that led down into the apartment building. She knew he would come back alive this time. He promised after all.

* * *

Mona Lisa heard a loud booming shriek across the sky. She put down her novel and cautiously went to look out the window in her bedroom. Raph had told her to stay there until he came back.

What she heard sounded something like thunder, yet it couldn't be. There wasn't a cloud in the starry night sky. Plus, that thundering sounded alive, a huge creature of some sort.

Confused, she kept looking upwards and a red dragon with white spikes flew overhead. She raced outside to see if what she had just seen was indeed real. The dragon was circling the cabin until he landed on the stoned driveway.

Being a fan of dragons, Mona Lisa wasn't afraid at all and ran to the beast. She had a funny feeling that she knew exactly who this was, especially when she saw his sai shaped horns on his knuckles. That couldn't be a coincidence!

"Raph? Raphael, it's you, isn't it?" she asked, smiling. Raph vaguely told her a few times before that he had been a dragon when he was a teen to impress her when he learned she had a thing for dragons. This had to be Raph!

Those light amber eyes told it all as Mona gazed into them. She snatched his muzzle and squeezed it hard. "Oh _**wow**! _You're so amazing, Raph! Man, you are ridiculously BEAUTIFUL!" she cried, 'soaking' up his presence. "I've always wanted to touch a real dragon, oh wow! I can't get over how cool this is!"

He thrilled her to no end by sliding his tongue over her body. She squeaked in fan-girl delight, grabbing and hugging his slippery tongue to her cheek down over her chest.

"Dragon saliva! Ohh, Raph, you spoil me! Aw, my sweetsy sexy baby! I love you!" she cooed, scrunching his muzzle hard. Raph yanked away and swiped at his nose with one claw in itchy annoyance, snorting.

"Oh, so sorry, big guy." Mona apologized, realizing she was being too much. "I guess I'm going overboard, huh?"

A quick snorting grunt answered her question as Raph rolled his eyes. Then his stare softened as he poised his beak and lower lip the best he could to her lips. She understood instantly and kissed him, running her hands over and down the under side of his lower lip.

"I love you too, hon." Mona said with much affection, blowing him kisses as he flew off, shrieking in dragon gusto as he went. Feeling the wetness on her body drying, she rushed back inside so she could collect Raph's dragon spit for examination. Real dragon saliva was hard to come by afterall.

* * *

"Man, what the f-ck happened here?" Angel asked when she finally arrived at the thorn fortress. One of Kano's guards frantically called for Angel to get over there when Karai attacked.

But Angel was too far away to arrive in time. She was almost glad she wasn't there to help afterall. It had been a massive bloody gory massacre and she probably would have been slaughtered.

She looked over the carnage and felt sick. Mikey must have had a hand in this. How could she have a baby with a killer like him? While she initially trusted the Turtles when she first met them as a tween, she never thought they could butcher like this.

She didn't have any idea of their perfected expertise in killing until she knew them a few years later on. They only got rid of really really evil guys, so she thought it was understandable.

As a Purple Dragon, she had seen plenty of hits get ordered and carried out, so she became desensitized in time. But not to savage mass murders with guts spilling out everywhere.

The Turtles had that freaky hyper mutation problem now and after almost being creamed by Mikey when he was a savage beast, Angel's trust for her lover was shaken. Sure she loved him, but he could turn into a flesh-eating monster at any time.

'What if Mike was killed?' she thought as she searched the thorn base for any signs of life. 'I sure ain't havin' that baby if he's dead.' she decided and began to leave the horrible stinking place after a fruitless exploration.

A loud boom behind her made Angel turn on her heel to see what it was. She twisted her ankle as she tried to run away the moment she saw a huge green and orange dragon creature.

"Holy sh-t!" Angel screamed, too shocked to even notice her hurt ankle. "What the h-ll? No way! No, no! Leave me alone! Please, don't!" She pinched her eyes shut in fear as the beast lowered his face to hers.

She dared to open her eyes just for a second when she recognized those familiar baby blue eyes. She shivered in intense fright and confusion. She couldn't believe it. This thing wasn't actually Mikey, was it?

"Muh...muh..!" Angel stammered, trembling. "M-Mike?" He nodded his head happily, then licked her hard, sending saliva up her nose. She gagged and coughed, flailing her arms.

"Uughh! D-mmit! Mike, you disgusting idiot! You jammed f-cking spit up my nose!" she yelled, throwing a punch to his snout. He opened his jaws and picked her up with his teeth.

"Hey, yow! Wait, I take it back! I'm sorry! Don't eat me!" she yelled, scared to death. Was this some sort of new form due to his hyper mutation problem where he turns into a big freaking dragon monster?

After no harm came to her after several moments, Angel calmed down and opened her eyes to discover that her new uniform was ruined by Mikey's sharp fangs.

"**_Argh!_** You big idiot! You totally screwed up my new uniform! Mike, let go!" she cried, then reconsidered her request when she saw how high off the ground she was. "Uh, never mind... Where are we goin'?"

He ignored her harsh words and questions. Now was not the time to explain anything even if he could. He dropped Angel off at Mona Lisa's cabin for safety reasons and flew away.

He would have stayed and licked her more to make her mad, but he wanted to destroy that demon inside Kano as soon as he could. He didn't want any of his other brothers getting in the last blows. He had to deliver the finishing blow, no one was going to take that away from him.

In a daze, Angel went to Mona's front door. She was about to knock when Mona just opened the door for her. The lizard lady did away with Purple Dragon girl's bewilderment by explaining that the Turtles were in dragon form by their own spiritual will.

"What can't they do?" Angel asked, wondering if Mikey and the rest could truly put Kano away for good.

* * *

The Turtles tracked their prey to a dense area of Central Park. They landed and sniffed the ground, realizing that the demon was close by. Before they could think about doing anything further, red tentacles poked up through the grassy earth and grabbed at them.

They tried to flee by flying away, but the demon snagged them where it could, around their necks, legs, or tails. The evil monster finally revealed himself, well its host, several yards to their left.

The demon let Kano plead for help before the demon began to emerge out of Kano's mouth, ripping the man apart. He gurgled in ungodly agony as he was torn to pieces. Bloody chucks of meat and bone sprayed everywhere as if the monster within was shredding old skin like a snake.

Even as steeled assassins, the Turtles were shaken to their core witnessing the horrible and offensively violent end of Kano. The true enemy laughed cruelly and then instantly began to dig into the dirt with uncanny speed.

It wrapped more tentacles around the Turtles to get a better hold on them all. They were dragged down into the hole the demon created, painfully yanking them to where the crystal catacombs were. The trip was a fast and agonizing one as they were battered and bruised along the way.

Once in the catacombs, Leo and Mikey were thrown into the massive lava pool and held down while Don and Raph were smashed into the rocks around the chamber. The meteorite demon laughed at its foes; its dark chuckling shook the walls.

Raph managed to gnaw the demon's tentacles off of him and leapt onto the enormous demon's lobster-like face. Raph kept biting and clawing, shrieking his rage. The evil thing finally released its hold on Leo and Mikey to strangle the life out of Raph.

Leo brought Mikey out of the lava and let his injured baby brother rest on a flat level rock bed nearby. He went to Raph's aid as several angry tentacles choked the red and white dragon-Turtle.

But it was hard to get so many meaty ropes away from Raph's throat. Don sneak-attacked the demon by jumping on the thing's back and plunging his claws up to his biceps into the monster.

Bright red blood gushed forth, spraying the gray purple Turtle-dragon all over. The demon's blood felt like acid, burning at Don's armored scales, so he hastily retreated.

But that distraction was all they needed to save Raph. They flew to where Mikey lay, backing off for the moment. Leo nudged Mikey until he came to, thankfully which was quickly, and stood up.

They couldn't barely believe it. The demon had grown much bigger than they had ever seen before. They were like ants compared to this monster. How could they possibly defeat it?

Don looked up to the crumbling ceiling and his thoughts were shared with his brothers. Leo signaled for them to attack, but not the demon. They hovered above the red beast, breathing fire on it to get its attention, and dodging its tentacles as it swatted at them like flies.

With each hit, the demon was actually bringing the ceiling down upon itself. But it didn't continue once it realized this and ignored the dragon pests above its head. Instead, the monster decided to recharge by stealing souls outright.

Millions of tentacles shot out from the demon like daggers towards the surface. Leo let out a shriek of throe as his right arm and wing were sliced apart from the sudden swift attack. He fell into a pile of rocks, bleeding profusely.

Don flew to Leo to help him while Raph tried to avenge his older brother in a terrible fury. Raph was unsuccessful as he was smacked away instantly. He was thrown head first into a sharp pointed rock and fell to his side unconscious. Blood leaked from a fresh deep wound on his head.

Mikey snarl-hissed hatefully, rage filling him to insane proportions. He bit and clawed at the demon's face, succeeding at blinding him. Mikey ripped one eye out completely, then snagged the other. The meteorite beast's eyeball hung outside its socket as it lumbered away from the enraged orange and green dragon Turtle.

'You stole Kameko from me, you disgusting monster! You savagely slaughtered her without any mercy! I won't let you get away with that! I **_WON'T_**!' Mikey's thoughts screamed throughout his brothers' minds. The demon 'heard' him just fine.

"_You want her back? Then serve me... I will give you power and wealth... I will give you the world!_" the demon said, hoping to trick Mikey to stop attacking so it could feed on souls and recharge.

'You can bring her back..?' Mikey thought, blue eyes blinking in shock and interest. Leo bellowed out an agonizingly long moaning cry of protest.

'Nooo! Don't listen to him! He's trying to deceive you!' he tried to tell Mikey.

"_Whatever you desire, it is yours... I will give you the world!_" the demon replied with a hidden mental grin. Mikey paused his slashing claws, his breathing laborious and raspy.

'I want...' Mikey squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them, rage burning bright. 'I want...a world where demons like you don't exist!' He angled his head up towards an enormous jagged rock hanging on the ceiling directly above them and breathed fire at it, bringing it down.

The demon noticed, but it was too late. Mikey jumped off the demon's head and narrowly missed getting crushed. The demon's screams were several horrible sounds in one, like wild animals and humans shrieking all together.

The many tentacles were ripped away from the demon's body as the huge rock smashed into it, causing the thing to sink into the lava pool. The monster's blood made the lava pool into an even worse death trap, burning and cooking the demon in its own juices.

The smell was beyond rancid and the Turtles headed for the only safe exit which was the passageway the Tunneler had made years before. Despite his injuries, Leo was able to leave on his own, but not Raph who was still unconscious.

Don gathered his older brother up and hurried after Leo. Although Mikey had done what he wanted, he wasn't finished. He knocked down as many rocks as he could to completely collapse the chamber for good.

Don had to go back for Mikey when he didn't follow them out and saved him just in time when the entire place was coming down. Mikey's leg was trapped under some rocks as the passageway got covered.

A hard tug and yank freed Mikey and they kept going until they were exhausted. They fell down around each other near Splinter's grave and realized that they were no longer dragons somehow.

Don pulled himself out from under Raph's beefy frame and looked up with utter amazement towards Splinter's tomb. Leo and Mikey looked as well, gasping.

A bright glowing light was illuminating the old rat's crypt in beautiful holy splendor. Splinter's spirit appeared before them and he walked towards them in his furry form.

He went to his sons, hugging and kissing each of them. His loving touch healed them as well. Leo flexed his previously sliced open arm in astonishment. Tears streamed down their faces at the presence of their beloved father.

Splinter picked up Raph and cuddled him like a hatchling. With a life-fulfilling breath, Raph woke up and stared in shock at Splinter who was still holding him. He snuggled his son again, causing Raph's eyes to well up instantly.

He hugged Splinter back hard, squeezing his eyes shut and his tears spilling out. The other three sat, watching and sniffling. Splinter smiled as he released Raph, who didn't want to let go, and set his eyes on all his sons.

"You have done the world a wonderful deed, my sons." Splinter spoke as if he was still alive and really truly there in the flesh. They were too awe-struck with loving joy to do anything except sniff and weep.

"The dark evil has been lifted from this place and we are now safe. It is all because of you, my beautiful sons. I am so proud of you all. So very proud." Splinter lowered his head and wiped away a tear of his own then.

"Remember that I am always with you all..." Splinter paused to cross his arms in a symbolic manner. "..in your hearts. Live your lives to the fullest and never forget that you are ninja."

The Turtles nodded to everything Splinter said then on. "You fight because you must. You fight to protect. Never stop fighting and honor one another as you have honored me. You are the chain of truth and justice and that must never be broken. Always operate as one and do not fight each other."

Splinter looked terribly sad as he felt a tugging to return back to where his spirit belonged. His return to Earth was over. "I must go now, my sons. I love you all."

Then he was gone. The Turtles sat on the ground, filled with painful sentiment of longing of their sensei, the only one who truly cared for them and really loved them. He was their father. They would see him again in Heaven someday.

But for now, they had to carry on the fight. The fight for what was right, good, and decent. For they are the Mutant Ninja Turtles, the defenders of truth, justice, and life.

**To Be Concluded in the Epilogue! **I'd really appreciate more reviews, so _please_ let me know if you are still reading this story by leaving a review! Per chapter is preferred, thanks! :)** (Don't miss the art and upcoming comic for this story at my DA gallery!) In the Epilogue: The wrap-up that paves way of DoTT's sequel Meptiles!**

Karai is very upset at the Turtles and they are not on good terms with her.  
A new enemy appears within the mob, threatening Karai's top rank of power and the overall safety of the city! Who is this enemy who wants both Karai AND Hun's empires?  
Cleo makes her final move to win Don back to the HuAnimal night club which ruins Rose's trust in Don. Will there be a break-up?  
Raphie Jr. wants out of Mona Lisa. Will her labor yield joyous or tragic results?  
Will Angel have her baby or abort?  
What becomes of April and Casey's marital problems? This and a lot more coming soon!

Don't miss DoTT's sequel, Meptiles! Keep reading to find out more on this story! Until next time. ^_^


	47. Epilogue of DoTT

Destruction of Turtle Trust Epilogue

* * *

All TMNT characters are Peter Laird & Kevin Eastman, now Nickelodeon.**  
Author Note:** Older : See Chapter 1. Latest Story Summery and Cast Info: See Chapter 23.  
**Please Read and Review what your thoughts are for this story/chapter!**  
**AdNote: See Ch.35 for info of DoTT's censoring / rating details.**

**This is the Epilogue of DoTT! But this is not the end of the entire story whatsoever! Don't miss out on DoTT's sequel titled Meptiles, coming very soon! I'm finishing this DoTT saga since it's getting too large and may overwhelm new readers who are short on time. The next saga will tie up loose ends from DoTT, making for a fun read on the real life issues the Turtles face everyday.**

**What to expect in Meptiles? The birth of Raph and Mona Lisa's son, Raphie Jr., what happens to Mikey and Angel's baby, Assassin's return aka Bishop's revenge, Karai's deception by using Don so she can give birth & tell Leo the child is his own, Cleo's murder, Casey's homicide, May's odd fondness for Don, Shadow's (Casey's adopted daughter) appearance, Leatherhead's lover Venus who is in hiding, Mikey teaching Don how to become an artist which backfires, Jotaro's return home, and so much more!**

For those who want more detailed adult content of this story and Meptiles, check out the 'Passion Series', the uncut uncensored chapters of DoTT & Meptiles! See my deviantArt Gallery for details!  
Note:See the Art on my DA site called _'TMNT Draco and 3 Turtles'_ to see how the adult Turtles would look like in this story. **There's mature content due to the reality issues I often put in my stories, so it's not really for the little kiddies out there.** Please check out my sites at **www. alaer art. com** & **alaer. deviantart. com** (take out the spaces!) for spiffy artwork of my ficcys! Enjoy!

* * *

**Destruction of Turtle Trust  
**Epilogue

It had been many months since the Turtles had battled the red meteorite demon and won. Karai had been very sore at the Turtles for denying her revenge on Kano and they were not on good terms with her currently.

Don was glad since he had it up to here with that crazy ninja witch. He regretted ever saving her from the Elite Foot ninja when he was a young teen. He should have never picked up that machine gun and wasted those men. He should have just let them slice Karai into lunchmeat.

'I thought she was a normal, innocent person.' he thought bitterly as he laid beside Rose in bed at her apartment one cool spring night. The holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years' Day, and even Valentine's Day all came and went.

Leo tried to make amends with Karai at each holiday celebration to no avail. She rejected him every time and he grew extremely irritated himself that he was saying things that gave Don a lot of hope that his older brother may finally be done with her for good.

But that hope died when Don heard Leo crying softly in his room almost every night. The purple clad Turtle felt bad. As much as he wanted Leo and Karai to be apart, Don could tell this 'separation' was practically killing Leo.

Why he needed Karai, Don tried to understand since he felt that way with Rose. But he still didn't believe Karai loved Leo back and he always felt disgusted and torn when he saw Leo suffering like this.

Karai pretty much banned them from her affairs entirely, which suited Don just fine. Raph and Mikey also were pleased, but Leo was in terrible shape although he hid it well, pretending to care only about their ninja training and stopping crime as they usually did.

Don had plenty of trouble trying to get Hun out of his life. The ones that were lucky enough to escape the massacre at Kano's thorn fortress squealed of Don's true alliance to the hulking behemoth.

Hun truly thought Don was a turncoat before, but he pretended to know that Don really wasn't on his side all that time. He almost didn't care either way.

He got to know Don better and that Turtle helped him with Sandra, which won Don many 'brownie' points. Hun didn't want to 'give up' on Don since he was the best assassin aka weapon that he ever had.

Don refused to work for Hun any longer, but that idiot wouldn't take no for an answer. He pestered the purple clad terrapin warrior whenever he could. Don tried his best to be scarce in Hun's territory, which was thankfully far away from Rose's home.

It appeared that Hun didn't know that Rose was Don's lover or if he did know, he wasn't trying to use her as a tool to make Don obey as Kano had. Perhaps within the Purple Dragons organization they thought Don was still with Cleo.

The Turtle grumbled as he turned to his other side, his back to Rose, who was sleeping fairly soundly despite her lover's tossing and turning. Cleo. Don squeezed his eyes shut miserably as he thought back to the night clubs and his erotic dancing.

He kinda missed the wild fun he had back then, but having a stable lifestyle with gentle Rose was better. Little did he know that stable lifestyle and the whole city was going to be turned completely upside down very soon.

'I should tell Rose about all that...' Don thought, but he just couldn't bring himself to mention it out of the blue. It just was too embarrassing and Rose may get the wrong idea about him, like he was giving out favors to other women or something. Maybe just forgetting about the whole thing would be best for now.

* * *

Elsewhere, a lone blonde woman dressed in a black trenchcoat stood by a grave in a cemetery. She was tall and slender, but she was not at all frail. She stroked the hidden pistol in her pocket, deep in lamentation and rage.

"Soon, Granddad, I will avenge your murder. My adopted father, his idiotic NYPD colleagues, and his precious city will pay severely for taking you away from us. From me... I'll win this city for you, Granddad and make it how you wanted it to be. I promise you that. Nothing will stop me from burning this city into submission to our family's rule." she said, holding onto her hat as a strong breeze blew.

"Miss Shadow? The limo's waiting." a man said, coming up over the steep hill. "I'll be right there, John." She sighed and kissed her fingers, pressing them to the tombstone before she went to the waiting vehicle. It was time, time to claim the city to the mob.

**THE END of DoTT, but not the end of this story! What's going on with Shadow and what are her plans for revenge? Read and bookmark/subscribe (add to your Stories Alert subscription for FF net viewers) Meptiles, coming soon!**

**Next up within the sequel:  
Karai is very upset at the Turtles. How will this affect her relationship with Leo?  
A new enemy appears within the mob, threatening Karai's top rank of power and the overall safety of the city! Will Shadow succeed in taking over both Karai AND Hun's empires?  
Raphie Jr. wants out of Mona Lisa. Will her labor yield joyous or tragic results?  
Will Angel have her baby or abort?  
Cleo makes her final move to win Don back to the HuAnimal night club which ruins Rose's trust in Don. Will there be a break-up?  
What becomes of April and Casey's marital problems? This and a lot more coming soon!**

Don't miss DoTT's sequel, Meptiles! Keep reading to find out more on this story! Until next time. ^_^


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